Meanings
diaspora1
plural diasporas · plural diasporae · plural diasporai · alternative Diaspora
- collectiveThe dispersion of a group in a manner comparable to that of the Jews among the Gentiles after the Babylonian captivity (6th century BCE).
The African diaspora caused a melding of cultures, both African cultures and Western ones, in many places.
2 more examples
This scattering abrode of the Iewes, as it were an heauenly sowing, fell out after their returne from the captiuitie of Babylon. Wherevpon both Acts. 2. and also 1. Pet. 1. and 1. Iam. ver. 1. [sic] they are called Diaspora, that is, a scattering or sowing abrode.
1594, Lambert Daneau, A Fruitfull Commentarie Vpon the Twelue Small Prophets, page 1042We're going to use her to train young people in the skills of maintaining these machines, and encourage the Indian diaspora in this country to get involved in our hobby of steam railways.
2023 July 12, Paul Clifton, “Network News: Saved: Trust protects Adrian Shooter's legacy”, in RAIL, number 987, page 29 - broadlyinformalJews outside of the land of Israel.
- The regions where such a dispersed group (especially the Jews) resides, taken collectively.
Jews in the diaspora often have a different perspective on anti-Semitism than Israeli Jews.
- Any dispersion of an originally homogeneous entity, such as a language or culture.
Small wonder that there should have been in recent years fresh talk of the diaspora of English into several mutually incomprehensible languages
1988, Joseph Foley, New Englishes: the case of Singapore, page 1
Diaspora2
- The dispersion of the Jews from the land of Israel.
According to the still common Israeli definition of a Zionist as one who views the Diaspora negatively and considers the settlement of Jews in Israel as essential, the vast majority of American Jews would not be considered Zionists.
1996, Gal Allon, Allon Gal, Jerold S. Auerbach, Envisioning Israel: The Changing Ideals and Images of North American Jews, page 151 - collectiveThe Jews so dispersed.
- broadlyA similar dispersion.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
diaspora · noun
- Ancient Greekδιασπορᾱ́“dispersion”
- Englishdiaspora
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek διασπορᾱ́ (diasporā́, “dispersion”), from διασπείρω (diaspeírō, “to scatter”), from δια- (dia-, prefix indicating motion across or in all directions) + σπείρω (speírō, “to sow”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic شَتَات يَهُودِي, شَتَات
- شَتَات يَهُودِي (šatāt yahūdī)dispersion of the Jews
- شَتَات (šatāt)dispersion of any group of people
- جالِية (jāliya)dispersion of any group of people
- مَهْجَر (mahjar)dispersion of any group of people
Basque diaspora
- diasporadispersion of any group of people
Bulgarian диаспо́ра
- диаспо́ра (diaspóra)dispersion of any group of people
Catalan diàspora, diàspora
- diàsporadispersion of the Jews
- diàsporadispersion of any group of people
Chinese Mandarin 散居, 流散
- 散居 (sǎnjū)dispersion of any group of people
- 流散 (liúsàn)dispersion of any group of people
- 僑民 /侨民 (qiáomín)dispersion of any group of people
- 離散 /离散 (lísàn)dispersion of any group of people
Czech diaspora, diaspora
- diasporadispersion of the Jews
- diasporadispersion of any group of people
Danish diaspora
- diasporadispersion of any group of people
Dutch diaspora
- diasporadispersion of any group of people
Esperanto diasporo, diasporo
- diasporodispersion of the Jews
- diasporodispersion of any group of people
Estonian diasporaa, hajala
- diasporaadispersion of any group of people
- hajaladispersion of any group of people
Finnish diaspora, hajaannus
- diasporadispersion of any group of people
- hajaannusdispersion of any group of people
French diaspora, diaspora
- diasporadispersion of the Jews
- diasporadispersion of any group of people
German Diaspora, Golus
- Diasporadispersion of any group of people
- Golusdispersion of the Jews from the land of Israel
Greek διασπορά
- διασπορά (diasporá)dispersion of any group of people
Hebrew גָּלוּת, פְּזוּרָה
- גָּלוּת (galút)dispersion of the Jews
- פְּזוּרָה (pzurá)dispersion of any group of people
Hindi विकीर्णन
- विकीर्णन (vikīrṇan)dispersion of any group of people
Hungarian szórvány, diaszpóra
- szórványdispersion of any group of people
- diaszpóradispersion of any group of people
Indonesian diaspora
- diasporadispersion of any group of people
Irish diaspóra (na nGiúdach), diaspóra
- diaspóra (na nGiúdach)dispersion of the Jews
- diaspóradispersion of any group of people
Italian diaspora, diaspora
- diasporadispersion of the Jews
- diasporadispersion of any group of people
Japanese ディアスポラ, 四散
- ディアスポラ (diasupora)dispersion of any group of people
- 四散 (shisan)dispersion of any group of people
- 離散 (risan)dispersion of any group of people
Korean 디아스포라
- 디아스포라 (diaseupora)dispersion of any group of people
Norwegian diaspora
- diasporadispersion of any group of people
Polish diaspora, diaspora
- diasporadispersion of the Jews
- diasporadispersion of any group of people
Portuguese diáspora, diáspora
- diásporadispersion of the Jews
- diásporadispersion of any group of people
Romanian diasporă
- diasporădispersion of any group of people
Russian диа́спора
- диа́спора (diáspora)dispersion of any group of people
Slovak diaspóra
- diaspóradispersion of any group of people
Spanish diáspora
- diásporadispersion of any group of people
Swedish diaspora
- diasporadispersion of any group of people
Turkish kopuntu, diaspora
- kopuntudispersion of any group of people
- diasporadispersion of any group of people
Ukrainian діа́спора
- діа́спора (diáspora)dispersion of any group of people
Vietnamese cộng đồng hải ngoại
- cộng đồng hải ngoạidispersion of any group of people
Yiddish גלות, תּפֿוצות
- גלות (goles)dispersion of the Jews
- תּפֿוצות (tfutses)dispersion of the Jews
- צעשפּרייטונג (tseshpreytung)dispersion of any group of people
Cite this entry
diaspora. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diaspora
“diaspora.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diaspora. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “diaspora,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diaspora.
Source: diaspora on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.