divergent

adjective di·ver·gent \ -jənt \

|Updated on: 17 Jul 2018

Definition of divergent

1 a : moving or extending in different directions from a common point : diverging from each other

divergent paths

b : differing from each other or from a standard

the divergent interests of capital and labor

2 mathematics : relating to or being an infinite (see ¹infinite 4c) sequence that does not have a limit or an infinite series whose partial sums do not have a limit

3 physics : causing rays (see ²ray 1b) to draw apart from a common center : causing divergence of rays

a divergent lens

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divergently

adverb

See divergent defined for kids

Recent Examples of divergent from the Web

Further complicating Europe’s defense is divergent views of Russia across the Continent.

— robert wall, WSJ, "Trump Fuels Anxiety in Europe Over Security," 13 July 2018
Southwest of Flagstaff, two recreation areas with divergent personalities are now linked.

— mare czinar, azcentral, "Flagstaff hike: Rogers Trail hike is a lovely walk in the woods," 5 July 2018
The former Michigan State teammates took divergent paths since the Spartans’ season ended.

— chris solari, Detroit Free Press, "Nick Ward hopes to take game to 'different level' in return to Michigan State basketball," 30 June 2018
Fox News coverage carries divergent points of view during its daytime hours.

— stephen battaglio, latimes.com, "Fox rift widens as 'Modern Family' co-creator Steve Levitan and others blast news coverage of immigration," 20 June 2018
Trump’s decision to visit Duluth speaks to the divergent nature of the president’s standing in the state.

— katie rogers and jonathan martin, BostonGlobe.com, "‘We’re sending them the hell back,’ Trump says of securing the country’s borders," 21 June 2018
The Mediterranean countries’ divergent fortunes are reflected in the spread between their 10-year sovereign debt, which is the widest since 2012.

— rodrigo orihuela, Bloomberg.com, "How Spain Got Its Swagger Back," 19 June 2018
But milk’s wholesome image has been tarnished by diet trends and divergent attitudes about nutrition.

— rick barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Dairy farmers tell their story at West Allis Farmers Market," 16 June 2018
There remain deeply divergent positions among scientists about how to design outbreak trials, specifically whether studies that don’t compare treatments to placebos can generate useful data.

— helen branswell, STAT, "With short outbreaks and complex permissions, testing critical Ebola treatments is a challenge," 11 June 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of divergent

Latin divergent-, divergens, present participle of divergere

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1696

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of divergent

different, diverse, divergent, disparate, various mean unlike in kind or character. different may imply little more than separateness but it may also imply contrast or contrariness.