divergence

noun

di·​ver·​gence də-ˈvər-jən(t)s 

dī-

1

a

: a drawing apart (as of lines extending from a common center)

b

: difference, disagreement

c

evolutionary biology : the development of dissimilar traits or features (as of body structure or behavior) in closely related populations, species, or lineages of common ancestry that typically occupy dissimilar environments or ecological niches : divergent evolution

2

: a deviation from a course or standard

3

: the condition of being mathematically divergent

Synonyms

• bifurcation
• divarication
• divergency
• separation

Examples of divergence in a Sentence

a growing divergence of opinion about that U.S. president's place in history

any divergence from the community's strict moral code was met with social ostracism

Recent Examples on the Web

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel rebuffed calls from the U.S. and some Arab leaders for the Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza after the war ends, deepening the divergence between Israel and the U.S. on a postwar plan for the enclave. —WSJ, 13 Nov. 2023

Since body lice are evolutionarily adapted to living in fabrics, the divergence likely indicates that humans began to wear clothing in that era, and the pests adapted to make themselves at home. —Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023

The divergence between the streamers and the legacy companies remains. —Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Sep. 2023

The divergence between our sun's solar wind and that of a Wolf-Rayet exceeds that ratio by a factor of more than 10,000. —Peter Tuthill, Scientific American, 15 Aug. 2023

Despite the growing divergence with Israel, there is no sign Biden is ready to threaten withholding U.S. military assistance or to impose other consequences on Israel. —Anna Schecter, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2023

But ideological divergences will limit the extent to which jihadis will be able to seize this moment to reenergize their movement. —Cole Bunzel, Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2023

According to Mariani, though, her death had a clearer impact on his father’s life’s path, where the divergence was immediate and more marked than on his own. —Hazlitt, 27 Sep. 2023

Corporate boards across industries have for decades doled out bigger and bigger packages to CEOs, leading to a growing divergence between how corporations in the US and beyond have rewarded workers relative to their top bosses. —Rebecca Greenfield, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin dīvergentia, noun derivative of Latin dīvergent-, dīvergens divergent

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

divergence

noun

di·​ver·​gence də-ˈvər-jən(t)s 

dī-

: the state of diverging : a drawing apart (as of lines extending from a common center)

Medical Definition

divergence

noun

di·​ver·​gence də-ˈvər-jən(t)s, dī- 

1

a

: a drawing apart

b

: the acquisition of dissimilar characters by related organisms under the influence of unlike environments

2

: dissemination of the effect of activity of a single nerve cell through multiple synaptic connections compare convergence sense 4

diverge

-ˈvərj 

verb

diverged; diverging

divergent

-ˈvər-jənt 

adjective