diversion

noun

di·ver·sion | \ də-ˈvər-zhən

, dī-, -shən\

Definition of diversion

1 : the act or an instance of diverting or straying from a course, activity, or use : deviation Bad weather forced the diversion of several flights.

2 : something that diverts or amuses : pastime Hiking is one of her favorite diversions. a welcome diversion from the pressures of the job

3 : an attack or feint that draws the attention and force of an enemy from the point of the principal operation You create a diversion while I sneak inside the building.

4 British : a temporary traffic detour

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Examples of diversion in a Sentence

small diversions of river water for irrigation Hiking is one of my favorite diversions. Our town offers few diversions. Sports provide him with a welcome diversion from the pressures of his job. He created a diversion while his partner stole her pocketbook.

Recent Examples on the Web

An American Airlines pilot is being praised online for his sweet gesture after a flight was met with an unexpected diversion. — Fox News, "American Airlines pilot buys Papa John's Pizza for 159 passengers after flight is diverted," 9 Sep. 2018 Later this month, officials will begin a series of road closures and traffic diversions to buy working room to replace the westbound side of the bridge; the eastbound side was replaced last summer. — Adam Vaccaro, BostonGlobe.com, "Commonwealth Avenue bridge project returns in late July," 11 July 2018 An online search for Coinbase shows its offices at a different location, a diversion tactic to keep away disgruntled crypto-currency investors, thieves who are trying to get access to crypto-assets, and other malefactors. — The Economist, "A disciplined startup emerges from the Wild West of crypto-currency," 28 June 2018 Historians sometimes bemoan hypotheticals as entertaining, but indulgent, diversions. — Darran Anderson, The Atlantic, "The Cities That Never Existed," 17 June 2018 At the peak of this year's opening, 183 of the river diversion structure's 350 bays were opened. . . . . . . — Littice Bacon-blood, NOLA.com, "Bonnet Carre Spillway Road to reopen Tuesday," 4 June 2018 But the most recent Trust Fund financial projection is a diversion from those more serious issues. — Philly.com, "Medicare is not going broke," 25 June 2018 The paradox continues to fuel many lunchtime conversations, which at least is a nice diversion from gossip or politics. — Seth Shostak /, NBC News, "If space aliens are out there, why haven't we found them?," 11 June 2018 Then came the diversions: North Korea launched missiles and tested rocket engines five times in the first 100 days. — Jeremy Page, WSJ, "U.S. Edges Toward New Cold-War Era With China," 13 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'diversion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

14 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for diversion

The first known use of diversion was in 1600

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More Definitions for diversion

diversion

noun

English Language Learners Definition of diversion

formal : the act of changing the direction or use of something : the act of diverting something

formal : something that people do because it is enjoyable, entertaining, or pleasant

: something that takes attention away from what is happening

See the full definition for diversion in the English Language Learners Dictionary

diversion

noun

di·ver·sion | \ də-ˈvər-zhən

, dī-\

Kids Definition of diversion

1 : an act or instance of changing the direction or use of diversion of the river

2 : something that relaxes, distracts, or entertains The city offers many diversions for visitors.

diversion

noun

di·ver·sion | \ də-ˈvər-zhən, dī-

Legal Definition of diversion

: the act or an instance of diverting: as

a : an unauthorized rerouting or appropriation diversion of funds

b : suspension of the prosecution of a charge for a period of time during which the defendant participates in a rehabilitation program or makes restitution and after which the charges are dismissed if the rehabilitation or restitution is completed — compare probation