To divert means to change the direction or course of something, turning it away from where it was originally headed. When a city diverts a river to prevent flooding, engineers redirect the water along a new path. When road construction forces traffic to divert onto side streets, drivers must take a different route than usual.

People also divert attention, resources, or efforts. A magician diverts your attention to one hand while performing a trick with the other. A teacher might divert classroom funds meant for art supplies to buy science equipment instead. During an emergency, a hospital might divert ambulances to a different facility if it's too full to accept more patients.

The word can describe deliberate changes or unexpected ones. A pilot diverts a plane to another airport because of bad weather. A student diverts their attention from homework to watch TV. When something diverts you, it pulls your focus away from what you were doing.

A diversion is something that diverts: it might be a distraction (like a diversion that lets a friend sneak past you) or entertainment (like a fun diversion on a rainy afternoon). The word suggests movement away from the original path, plan, or purpose.