convergence

noun con·ver·gence \ kən-ˈvər-jən(t)s \

|Updated on: 6 Jul 2018

Examples: convergence in a Sentence

Definition of convergence

1 : the act of converging and especially moving toward union or uniformity

the convergence of the three rivers

; especially : coordinated movement of the two eyes so that the image of a single point is formed on corresponding retinal areas

2 : the state or property of being convergent

3 : independent development of similar characters (as of bodily structure of unrelated organisms or cultural traits) often associated with similarity of habits or environment

4 : the merging of distinct technologies, industries, or devices into a unified whole

… offers a variety of services related to the convergence of the Internet and mobile phones.
—Rob Walker

See convergence defined for kids

Examples of convergence in a Sentence

the convergence of the city's major arteries on a single rotary

Recent Examples of convergence from the Web

But first, leaders in the field must understand the process through which consumers might embrace self-driving cars: trust in the technology, confidence in its use, and the convergence of societal and environmental pressures.

— eric ellis, Fortune, "2 Things That Need to Happen for Driverless Cars to Go Mainstream," 28 June 2018
Opera purists may squawk, but for me every voice does justice not only to Bizet’s melodic richness but also to the inescapable fatalism of the story, as the music tugs everyone into combustible convergence.

— ben brantley, New York Times, "Review: Bad Girl Makes Good in a Glorious ‘Carmen Jones’," 27 June 2018
Davenport lives solely in Polk; Four Corners (also known as Citrus Ridge) gets its name from boundaries that create a convergence of Polk, Lake, Osceola and Orange counties.

— a.d. thompson, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Davenport/Four Corners Neighborhood Guide," 21 June 2018
This meeting also marks the latest convergence between the Trump and Kardashian clans.

— christian holub, EW.com, "President Trump commutes sentence of Alice Johnson after Kim Kardashian meeting," 6 June 2018
Qualcomm, for years the king of (non-iPhone) mobile processors, set up shop in Windows PCs last December, pushing the convergence Google has already pushed heavily in its Chromebook line.

— brian barrett, WIRED, "It's Time to Get Excited About the Future of PCs. (Yes, PCs)," 8 June 2018
Presidential Tower, the dilapidated icon looming over Spaghetti Junction, has officially been sold. Peacock Partnership intends to redevelop the property, built in 1973 near the convergence of I-285 and I-85, as senior housing.

— joshua sharpe, ajc, "Spaghetti Junction’s iconic, rundown tower sold for redevelopment," 7 June 2018
The town sits below steep hills at the convergence of four creeks that flow into the Patapsco.

— steve thompson, Washington Post, "Ellicott City will rebuild, but difficult decisions lie ahead," 1 June 2018
Bob Hagen said the convergence of so many roadways — and having the two off-ramps from I-94 not that far away from each other — is one of the factors leading to the high number of collisions.

— bob dohr, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "As you hit the roadways, be aware of these 12 crash-prone intersections in the Milwaukee area," 24 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'convergence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of convergence

see converge

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1713

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

convergence Synonyms

Synonyms

confluence, conjunction, convergency, meeting;

Antonyms

divergence;

Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate

Medical Dictionary

convergence

noun con·ver·gence \ kən-ˈvər-jən(t)s \

medical Definition of convergence

1 : an embryonic movement that involves streaming of material from the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the gastrula toward the blastopore and concurrent shifting of lateral materials toward the middorsal line and that is a process fundamental to the establishment of the germ layers

2 : independent development of similar characters (as of body structure in whales and fishes) by animals or plants of different groups that is often associated with similarity of habits or environment

3 : movement of the two eyes so coordinated that the images of a single point fall on corresponding points of the two retinas

4 : overlapping synaptic innervation of a single cell by more than one nerve fiber — compare divergence 2

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