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

The decision to hold the Opening Ceremonies on the river represented a bold — and risky — divergence from the norm. —Rick Noack, Washington Post, 26 July 2024

This fundamental divergence meant that none of the major powers on either side — the Austrians, Hungarians, Germans, Russians, and French — dialed back their rhetoric nor their demands in the weeks leading up to war. —Christine Adams / Made By History, TIME, 17 July 2024

The trend is expected to help Europe’s economy close some of its divergence with the U.S., where consumer spending is expected to take a hit from months of higher borrowing costs. —Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 18 May 2024

The divergence between increasingly cheery consumers and the stop-start path for the country’s economy, which has seen quarterly growth for less than half of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s time in office, can partly be explained by rising pay. —Marilen Martin, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2024

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