diversify

verb

di·​ver·​si·​fy də-ˈvər-sə-ˌfī How to pronounce diversify (audio)
dī-
diversified; diversifying

transitive verb

1
: to make diverse or composed of unlike elements : give variety to
diversify a course of study
2
: to balance (an investment portfolio) defensively by dividing funds among securities (see security sense 3) of different industries or of different classes
diversify your investments
3
: to increase the variety of the products of
diversify the company

intransitive verb

1
: to produce variety
encouraging farmers to diversify
2
: to engage in varied operations
diversifying into online services
diversifier
də-ˈvər-sə-ˌfī(-ə)r How to pronounce diversify (audio)
dī-
noun

Examples of diversify in a Sentence

The country is diversifying its energy sources. farmers who want to diversify their crops The new CEO's chief aim is to diversify the company. The company needs to diversify. Many publishing companies have diversified into online services.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
By understanding how these products evolve and diversify in bacteria, scientists might be able to tackle current resistance that humans have developed to some of the antibiotics that exist. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026 Kwan’s push to expand the family office’s geographical footprint correlates with global wealth flows, as HNWIs worldwide look to diversify their assets across different geographies. — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 Lastly, efforts to diversify the domestic economy away from oil and build new industries are losing steam. — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Drawing interest For Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala, Asia in general has become an increasingly important destination as the sovereign investor seeks to diversify its portfolio and deepen exposure to long-term growth opportunities. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for diversify

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dyversefyen "to change, vary," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French diversefier, diversifier "to change, vary, be variable, be different," borrowed from Medieval Latin dīversificāre "to differentiate, differ, disagree, be at variance," verbal derivative of Late Latin dīversificus "varied," from Latin dīversus "turned in different directions, differing" + -i- -i- + -ficus -fic — more at diverse

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of diversify was in the 15th century

Rhymes for diversify

See All Rhymes for diversify

Browse Nearby Words

diversiform
diversify
diversion
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Diversify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diversify. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

diversify

verb
di·​ver·​si·​fy də-ˈvər-sə-ˌfī How to pronounce diversify (audio)
dī-
diversified; diversifying
1
: to make diverse : give variety to
2
: to increase the variety of products of
diversify a business
diversification
-ˌvər-sə-fə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce diversify (audio)
noun
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