diversity

Etymology

From Middle English diversite, from Old French diversité, from Latin dīversitās. Displaced native Old English mislīcnes.

noun

1. The quality of being diverse or different; difference or unlikeness.
   On December 17 I addressed the UN General Assembly, stating that it was this nation's policy to help create a world that "can be safe for diversity and free from hostility." 1971, Lyndon Johnson, “"I feel like I have already been here a year"”, in The Vantage Point, Holt, Reinhart & Winston, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 23
   One place there were none, of course, was on the Buckingham Palace balcony, as was observed by the Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh – who contrasted on the ITV coverage “the rich diversity of the abbey” and “a terribly white balcony”. 2023-05-07, Caroline Davies, Emily Dugan, quoting Adjoa Andoh, “Coronation aimed for diversity but real challenges still lie ahead”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
2. A variety; diverse types or examples.
   The San Juan market is Mexico City's most famous deli of exotic meats, where an adventurous shopper can hunt down hard-to-find critters such as ostrich, wild boar and crocodile. Only the city zoo offers greater species diversity. 2013-07-26, Nick Miroff, “Mexico gets a taste for eating insects …”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 32
3. (chiefly business) Equal-opportunity inclusion.
   Bakke has shaped a precarious context for diversity initiatives in higher education. On the one hand, the U.S. Supreme Court has reasoned that race may serve a purpose in the admissions process; however, race may not be used as a corrective measure, such as by establishing quotas. 2003, Adalberto Aguirre, Racial and Ethnic Diversity in America: A Reference Handbook, page 72
   Diversity is now a big industry — about $8 billion per year gets spent on diversity trainings in America — and parents might be feeling blindsided by the rapid changes, many of which came after last year’s George Floyd protests. 2021-11-11, Jay Caspian Kang, “Can We Talk About Critical Race Theory?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN