Diversity includes all the ways in which people differ, and it encompasses all the different characteristics that make one individual or group different from another. A broad definition includes not only race, ethnicity and gender —the groups that most often come to mind when the term diversity is used — but also age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language and physical appearance. It also involves different ideas, perspectives and values.

University of California-Berkeley Center for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity. (n.d.). Glossary of terms. Retrieved from http://diversity.berkeley.edu/glossary-terms.