diverse

adjective

di·verse dī-ˈvərs

də-ˈvərs,

ˈdī-ˌvərs

Synonyms of diverse next

: differing from one another : unlike

people with diverse interests

: composed of distinct or unlike elements or qualities

a diverse population

diversely adverb

diverseness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for diverse

different, diverse, divergent, disparate, various mean unlike in kind or character.

different may imply little more than separateness but it may also imply contrast or contrariness.

different foods

diverse implies both distinctness and marked contrast.

such diverse interests as dancing and football

divergent implies movement away from each other and unlikelihood of ultimate meeting or reconciliation.

went on to pursue divergent careers

disparate emphasizes incongruity or incompatibility.

disparate notions of freedom

various stresses the number of sorts or kinds.

tried various methods

Examples of diverse in a Sentence

We can adapt to new problems in ways that other species cannot. It is this ability that enabled our ancestors to spread over the globe, displacing other hominids and many other species along the way. Our cultures and individual behaviors are so successfully diverse that humans are more like an entire ecosystem than a single species. —

Barbara Oakley, Evil Genes, (2007) 2008

Since the methods and policies of the Spaniards on the edges of empire varied over time and place, and the indigenous tribes and peoples with whom they came into contact were almost endlessly diverse, Weber was faced with the daunting challenge of writing a book that was at the same time comprehensive and comprehensible. —

J. H. Elliott, New York Review of Books, 23 Feb. 2006

The place is packed at both lunch and dinner. The crowd, always a diverse blend of athletes and fans, cops and criminals, showbiz and fashion, appears as heterogeneous as ever. —

Eric Asimov, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2003

Many students, from campuses diverse as Bushwick High School in Brooklyn, New York, and Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, had classmates sign cards pledging to vote for "books, not bombs." —

Liza Featherstone, Nation, 4/11 Aug. 2003

His message appealed to a diverse audience. a diverse group of subjects See More

Recent Examples on the Web Even though the cost of living in the Bay Area is among the highest in the U.S., the region offers a more diverse mix of jobs, including a bigger range of upper-middle-income jobs, than some other cities. —

Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2023 In director Peter Flynn’s production, a framing device — scenes set at an Ellis Island-like transit center — shows Anatevka to characters representing refugees and migrants from diverse backgrounds. —

Celia Wren, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023 For its first Pitching Paradiso, to be held at Ventana Sur on Nov. 30, Brazil’s Projeto Paradiso is looking to Brazil’s North-East and a new more diverse generation of filmmakers which is bringing a sense of urgency and excitement to Brazilian cinema. —

John Hopewell, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023 The second is to make a more diverse antivenin that can effectively act on a spectrum of snakebites. —

Kamala Thiagarajan, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023 Racial and gender disparities persist in award-winning kids’ literature despite recent gains in representation Children's literature has become far more diverse in the past decade, helping more kids than ever to see themselves in their favorite books. —

Jesse Greenspan, Scientific American, 20 Nov. 2023 Vendors: For many couples, working with businesses that share their values and support people from diverse backgrounds is an important part of the planning process. —

Anna Grace Lee, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023 Keith Crowell, the local union president in Arlington, said the plant has a diverse group of workers from full- and part-time temporary hires to longtime assembly line employees. —

Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 16 Nov. 2023 Here, one of the most diverse collections of contemporary art in the world, with pieces ranging from large-scale sculptures to paintings and photographs, stretches over thousands of acres of botanical gardens. —

Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diverse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English divers, diverse "differing, distinct, of various kinds, several," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French divers, diverse, deverce, borrowed from Latin dīversus "turned in different directions, situated apart, differing," from past participle of dīvertere "to separate oneself (from), be different, diverge" — more at divert

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of diverse was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century