Diaspora

noun

/daɪˈæspərə/

A scattered population whose origin lies in a separate geographic locale — specifically, people who have migrated from their ancestral homeland and maintain cultural, religious, or national identity in their country of residence; India has one of the world's largest diasporas, with approximately 32 million people of Indian origin living abroad.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

India's vast diaspora, numbering over thirty million, has evolved from a mere reservoir of remittances into a strategic instrument of soft power, advancing the nation's commercial, technological and diplomatic interests across continents.

Synonyms

dispersiondispersalscatteringmigrationexodusdispersed community

Antonyms

repatriationhomelandingatheringreturn

🌱 Word Family

diasporic (adj), diasporically (adv), diaspora (n), diasporan (adj/n)

🔡 Root

Greek diaspora = scattering; dia- = across + speirein = to sow, scatter

📜 Etymology

From Greek diaspora ("scattering, dispersion"), from diaspeirein ("to scatter"), from dia- ("across") + speirein ("to sow, scatter"); originally used for the dispersion of Jews from Israel; now used broadly for any migrant community maintaining homeland connections.

🧠 Memory Hook

Break it as DIA (across) + SPORA (spores) — think of spores 'scattered across' the wind, just as a people are dispersed across the world.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Mains 2023 · GS2 · 10 marks — International Relations
Mains 2020 · GS2 · 10 marks — International Relations
Mains 2017 · GS2 · 15 marks — International Relations

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Diaspora” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

🌍 Geography 📖 Seen in: Population & Migration Geography — Dem...

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