diverge

verb

di·​verge də-ˈvərj 

dī-

diverged; diverging

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move or extend in different directions from a common point : draw apart

diverging roads

b

: to become or be different in character or form

The friends' lives diverged after graduation.

: differ in opinion

This is where our views diverge.

2

: to turn aside from a path or course : deviate

diverge from a direct path

3

mathematics : to be divergent (see divergent sense 2)

transitive verb

: deflect

diverge a compass needle

Synonyms

• detour
• deviate
• sheer
• swerve
• swing
• turn
• turn off
• veer
• wheel

Choose the Right Synonym for diverge

swerve, veer, deviate, depart, digress, diverge mean to turn aside from a straight course.

swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness.

swerved to avoid hitting the dog

veer implies a major change in direction.

at that point the path veers to the right

deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions.

after school their paths diverged

Example Sentences

A prism causes rays of light to diverge.

They were close friends in college, but after graduation, their lives diverged.

Recent Examples on the Web

Investments in clean energy and fossil fuels were largely neck-and-neck in the years leading up to the pandemic, but have diverged sharply since. —Will Horner, WSJ, 25 May 2023

Elizabeth’s and Charles’ lives and temperaments diverged from an early age. —Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2023

Thus, an isotopic comparison of Europa to one or both of the outermost moons could finally reveal the truth about how these satellites diverged from their common origins. —Nola Taylor Tillman, Scientific American, 24 Apr. 2023

The Hang Seng and Hang Seng Tech indexes diverged to close +0.14% and -0.09%, respectively, overnight on volume that increased +2% from yesterday. —Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023

Evolutionary and genetic analysis suggests that the human virus diverged from the bird virus several hundred years ago. —John V. Williams, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2023

From this point, their fates diverge, at least temporarily. —Alida Becker, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2023

Once two biological populations are separated and can no longer interbreed, their genomes increasingly diverge over time. —Byjoshua Sokol, science.org, 27 Mar. 2023

And, unsurprisingly, experts are finding gaps where these models diverge from how humans read. —Max G. Levy, Quanta Magazine, 12 May 2023

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Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin dīvergere "to proceed in different directions," from dī-, variant before voiced sounds of dis- dis- + vergere "to move downward, slope downward, sink" — more at verge entry 3

Note: The verb dīvergere, attested once in classical Latin, is rare before later medieval and modern Latin, where it appears in scientific and mathematical texts, often as an antonym of convergere "to converge."

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

diverge

verb

di·​verge də-ˈvərj 

dī-

diverged; diverging

: to move or extend in different directions from a common point : draw apart

diverging rays of light

two roads diverged