diverse

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   distinctly dissimilar or unlike

   celebrities as diverse as Bob Hope and Bob Dylan

2. 2
   adj

   Capable of or having various forms in different situations or at different times; multiform.

   [T]he diverse mone abowt, / Now bryght, now browne, now bent, now full, and now her lyght is owt.

3. 3
   adj

   Chiefly preceded by a descriptive word: of a community, organization, etc.: composed of people with a variety of different demographic characteristics such as ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status; especially, having a sizeable representation of people who are minorities in the community, organization, etc.

   The stage reflected the increasingly diverse Democratic party in which women and people of color are ascendant. Three women – two more than have ever shared a stage during a presidential primary debate and one of whom is Hindu – a Latino former congressman and a black senator participated.

4. 4
   adj

   Not the same; different, dissimilar, distinct.

   And they gaue them drinke in veſſels of gold, (the veſſels being diuers one from another) and royall wine in abundance, according to the ſtate of the king.

5. 5
   adj

   Of a person: belonging to a minority group.

   The Board's [i.e., Board of Governors'] goal is to commit to doubling the number of women and diverse members of the Academy by 2020.

6. 6
   adj

   Differing from what is good or right, or beneficial; bad, evil; harmful.

   This kyng Edward the .ii. father to the noble kyng Edward the .iii. had .ii. bretherñ⸝ the one called Marſhall⸝ who was ryght wyld ⁊ diuers of condicions⸝ the other called ſir Aymon erle of Cane right wyse⸝ amiable⸝ gẽtle [gentle] and wellbeloued with al people.

7. 7
   adj

   Causing one to be indecisive between different viewpoints.

   So many pathes, ſo many turnings ſeene, / That vvhich of them to take, in diuerſe doubt they been.

8. 8
   adv

   Synonym of diversely (“in different directions”).

   [The river in the Garden of Eden] novv divided into four main Streams, / Runs divers, vvandring many a famous Realme / And Country vvhereof here needs no account, […]

Etymology

From Middle English diversen (“to differ, diverge; to become different, change; to vary; to change or vary (something); to make a distinction, distinguish; to divert”), from Anglo-Norman diverser, Middle French diverser, and Old French diverser (“to alter, change; to differ, diverge; to disagree”), from Late Latin diversare (“to differ”), and then either: * a frequentative form of Latin dīvertere, the present active infinitive of dīvertō (see etymology 1); or * from dī- (variant of dis- (prefix meaning ‘apart, in two’)) + versāre (the present active infinitive of versō (“to alter, change; to k…