diaspora

noun

di·as·po·ra dī-ˈa-sp(ə-)rə

dē-

Synonyms of diaspora next

capitalized, Judaism

: the Jews living outside Israel

members of the Diaspora

: the settling of scattered communities of Jews outside ancient Palestine after the Babylonian exile

: the area outside ancient Palestine settled by Jews

: people settled far from their ancestral homelands

members of the African diaspora

: the place where these people live

: the movement, migration, or scattering of a people away from an established or ancestral homeland

the Black diaspora to northern cities

diasporic

ˌdī-ə-ˈspȯr-ik

adjective

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The Beginnings of the Word Diaspora

Until recently diaspora was thought to be a fairly new word in English to describe a very old thing (its first, and principal, meaning relates to the settling of the Jewish people outside of Palestine after the Babylonian exile thousands of years ago). However, recent research has found that the word is quite a bit older than previously thought. It can be found as far back as 1594, in a translation of Lambert Daneau’s A Fruitfull Commentarie vpon the Twelue Small Prophets: “This scattering abrode of the Iewes, as it were an heauenly sowing, fell out after their returne from the captiuitie of Babylon … they are called Diaspora, that is, a scattering or sowing abrode.” Diaspora is descended from the Greek word diaspeirein, meaning “to scatter, spread about.”

Examples of diaspora in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Adding to the complex picture, Germany has the largest Palestinian diaspora in Europe, which is estimated at 300,000. —

Sophie Tanno, CNN, 27 June 2024 In its 22nd year, the event showcases films from the South Asian subcontinent and their diasporas. —

Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2024 A number of Palestinian athletes are expected to compete in the Games, many being part of the Palestinian diaspora, including Omar Yaser Ismail, who this year became the first Palestinian to qualify to compete in the taekwondo category at the Olympics. —

Keir Simmons, NBC News, 26 June 2024 This event will highlight the African diaspora, Black artists and supporters of Black culture. —

Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for diaspora

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diaspora.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek, dispersion, from diaspeirein to scatter, from dia- + speirein to sow

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler

The first known use of diaspora was in 1594

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Diaspora.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diaspora. Accessed 9 Jul. 2024.

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Last Updated: 2 Jul 2024 - Updated example sentences

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