divertissement
noun
Did you know?
Divertissement can mean "diversion" in both English and French, and it probably won't surprise you to learn that "divertissement" and "diversion" can be traced back to the same Latin root : divertere, meaning "to turn in opposite directions." Early uses of "divertissement" in English often occurred in musical contexts, particularly opera and ballet, describing light sequences that entertained but did little to further the story. (The word's Italian cousin, divertimento, is used in a similar way.) Today "divertissement" can refer to any kind of amusement or pastime, specifically one that provides a welcome distraction from what is burdensome or distressing.
Examples of divertissement in a Sentence
Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 23 Jan. 2025
The loveliest expression of these is in the second act, where the enchanted forest is replaced by a pure-dance divertissement.
—Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post, 10 June 2022
And the Mother Ginger divertissement had to be omitted altogether, since there was no way to fit eight older Polichinelles under her skirt.
—Jeffrey Gantz, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Nov. 2021
This season, the Act 2 pas de quatre, a speedy and demanding divertissement for three women and one man, was cut to help streamline the ballet.
—New York Times, 25 Feb. 2020
Historical revisionism as an academic divertissement is corrupting, muddling the intellects of generations.
—Jakub Grygiel, National Review, 8 Nov. 2019
Festive music is suddenly heard as the people celebrate Thésée’s safe return in an ironic divertissement.
—George Loomis, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2018
With the young Queen Victoria often in the audience, the world’s foremost ballerinas appeared there, sometimes in duets, trios, and quartets, with Perrot making creative breakthroughs in terms of both narrative ballet and pure-dance divertissements.
—Alastair MacAulay, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Apr. 2018
With the young Queen Victoria often in the audience, the world’s foremost ballerinas appeared there, sometimes in duets, trios and quartets, with Perrot making creative breakthroughs in terms of both narrative ballet and pure-dance divertissements.
—Alastair MacAulay, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Divertissement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divertissement. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
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