diversify

verb

diversified; diversifying

transitive verb

1
: to make diverse or composed of unlike elements : give variety to
diversify a course of study
2
: to balance (an investment portfolio) defensively by dividing funds among securities (see security sense 3) of different industries or of different classes
diversify your investments
3
: to increase the variety of the products of
diversify the company

intransitive verb

1
: to produce variety
encouraging farmers to diversify
2
: to engage in varied operations
diversifying into online services

Examples of diversify in a Sentence

The country is diversifying its energy sources. farmers who want to diversify their crops The new CEO's chief aim is to diversify the company. The company needs to diversify. Many publishing companies have diversified into online services.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The company has since diversified into other industries like construction, agriculture and defense. Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 21 July 2026 Instead of trying to pick the next big winner, or investing in a single sector ETF, investors should diversify. Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 21 July 2026 As prices normalize and other producers expand output, Indian refiners will diversify their purchases based on economics alone. Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 The company’s stock got hammered several times, forcing Hims to diversify its offerings. Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for diversify

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dyversefyen "to change, vary," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French diversefier, diversifier "to change, vary, be variable, be different," borrowed from Medieval Latin dīversificāre "to differentiate, differ, disagree, be at variance," verbal derivative of Late Latin dīversificus "varied," from Latin dīversus "turned in different directions, differing" + -i- -i- + -ficus -fic — more at diverse

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of diversify was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Diversify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diversify. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

diversify

verb
diversified; diversifying
1
: to make diverse : give variety to
2
: to increase the variety of products of
diversify a business

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