diversity

Noun

diversity (countable and uncountable, plural diversities)

1. The quality of being diverse or different; a difference or unlikeness.
   • From this view of the case, my friends, I am driven irresistibly to the conclusion that diversity, dissimilarity, variety in all our local and domestic institutions, is the great safeguard of our liberties1858 July 9, Stephen A. Douglas, "Speech of Stephen A. Douglas in Chicago", published in Political Debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas (Cleveland, 1897)
   • In much she reminded me constantly of my own lost child; in other ways she attracted me by her diversity.1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC

   Synonyms:

   disuniformity, heterogeneity, irregularity, multiformity, nonconformity, nonhomogeneity, nonregularity, nonuniformity, unconformity, variety

2. A variety; diverse types or examples.
   • Hendryx has laid down eight tracks that flow seamlessly through funk, disco, gospel, rock and reggae, with nary a false step along the way. She is at home in this diversity of styles because she has paid her dues in all of them: from her days as one of the dynamoes of Labelle through collaborations...1983 August 6, Rob Schmieder, “Disco Consumers And Rock Activists”, in Gay Community News, page 15
   • 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 July 26, Nick Miroff, “Mexico gets a taste for eating insects …”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 32

   Synonyms:

   selection

3. 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 November 11, Jay Caspian Kang, “Can We Talk About Critical Race Theory?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN