convergent

adjective

con·ver·gent | \ kən-ˈvər-jənt

Definition of convergent

1 : tending to move toward one point or to approach each other : converging convergent lines a tropical cyclone characterized by convergent airflow

2 : exhibiting convergence in form, function, or development … likenesses reflecting shared habits, such as the convergent aquatic adaptations of whales and fish.— Harriet Ritvo — see also convergent evolution

3a of an improper integral : having a value that is a real number

b : characterized by having the nth term or the sum of the first n terms approach a finite limit a convergent sequence a convergent series

Examples of convergent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Or did the auditory systems evolve independently to perform the same function, a phenomenon called convergent evolution? — Sarah Lewin Frasier, Scientific American, 1 July 2015 Its hostile currents and depths of more than 700 feet are an incredible natural laboratory for studying convergent evolution, or how diverse species develop similar environmental adaptations. — Asher Elbein, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2020 Unrelated species sometimes arrive at remarkably similar anatomies through a process called convergent evolution. — Asher Elbein, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2020 This study demonstrates convergent evolution, Thomas says, as these creatures are so far off the evolutionary pathway from humans, but are in some ways similar to us. — Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, 9 Jan. 2020 In rodents, defense against predators (interspecies) and alpha males (conspecifics) activates very similar brain structures and behaviors, suggesting that there was substantial convergent evolution of these defenses. — Dean Mobbs, Scientific American, 20 Sep. 2019 Lacking concrete proof of Turkey’s involvement, prosecutors pointed to convergent falsehoods told by Alptekin, Flynn and Rafiekian as well as the odd evolution of the project. — Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, 23 July 2019 This is an example of what biologists call convergent evolution, when organisms evolve the same traits multiple times in different ways. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, 10 Apr. 2019 Se Jin Song, a biologist at the University of California San Diego and the study’s lead author, had previously studied the convergent evolution of gut bacteria. — Joshua Sokol, New York Times, 8 June 2019

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