diviner; divinest
1
religion
a
: of, relating to, or proceeding directly from God (see god entry 1 sense 1) or a god (see god entry 1 sense 2)
divine inspiration
divine love
praying for divine intervention
b
: being a deity
the divine Savior
a divine ruler
c
: directed to a deity
divine worship
divinely
adverb
1
religion
: clergyman
a Puritan divine
2
religion
: theologian
divined; divining
2
: to discover or locate (something, such as underground water or minerals) usually by means of a divining rod
1
: to seek to predict future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers : to practice divination : prophesy
2
: to perceive intuitively
Synonyms
Adjective
- A-OK
- A1
- awesome
- bang-up
- banner
- beautiful
- blue-chip
- blue-ribbon
- boffo
- bonny [chiefly British]
- bonnie
- boss [slang]
- brag
- brave
- bully
- bumper
- capital
- choice
- classic
- cool [slang]
- corking
- crackerjack
- cracking
- dandy
- dope [slang]
- down [slang]
- dynamite
- excellent
- fab
- fabulous
- famous
- fantabulous [slang]
- fantastic
- fine
- first-class
- first-rate
- first-string
- five-star
- four-star
- frontline
- gangbusters
- gangbuster
- gilt-edged
- gilt-edge
- gone [slang]
- grand
- great
- groovy
- heavenly
- high-class
- hot
- hype [slang]
- immense
- jim-dandy
- keen
- lovely
- marvelous
- marvellous
- mean
- neat
- nifty
- noble
- number one
- No. 1
- numero uno
- out-of-sight [slang]
- par excellence
- peachy
- peachy keen
- phat [slang]
- prime
- primo [slang]
- prize
- prizewinning
- quality
- radical [slang]
- righteous [slang]
- sensational
- slick
- splendid
- stellar
- sterling
- superb
- superior
- superlative
- supernal
- swell
- terrific
- tip-top
- top
- top-notch
- top-of-the-line
- top-shelf
- topflight
- topping [chiefly British]
- unsurpassed
- wizard [chiefly British]
- wonderful
Noun
Verb
Examples of divine in a Sentence
Adjective
They prayed for divine intervention.
how about a piece of the most divine apple pie I've ever tasted!
Noun
the great influence exerted by the Puritan divines in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Verb
divine the answer to a question
it was easy to divine his intention of asking his girlfriend to marry him
Recent Examples on the Web
Hazlitt, 20 Sep. 2023
On this day of Dussehra, may your home be filled with divine energy.
—Jamie Ballard, Woman's Day, 29 Aug. 2023
As a poet, I have been given the cosmic task of alerting world consciousness from the Tao, and the divine intelligence in the Universe.
—Marc Mohan | , oregonlive, 29 Aug. 2023
There is Santa, who has divine strength and déjà vu, and takes on a politician called Ice.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023
This divine flavor combination graces our browned butter frosting, the perfect accompaniment to our Bourbon-Chocolate Cake.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2023
Baker’s plays teach their audiences to listen to the earthbound in order to approach the divine as small miracles and misfortunes unfold within and between characters on stage.
—Liz Appel, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2023
Rooted in Hindu philosophy, Kundalini is a form of divine energy.
—Ysolt Usigan, Woman's Day, 6 Sep. 2023
Liszt felt a particular freedom in the religious arena, where the task of representing the divine and the apocalyptic justified extreme measures.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
Britt Peterson, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2023
According to pros and believers alike, angel numbers carry messages from the divine.
—Ysolt Usigan, Woman's Day, 5 Sep. 2023
After the rise of Christianity, small white churches began dotting the summits of Sifnos’s hills and mountains, symbolizing proximity to the divine.
—Nick Romeo, The New Republic, 23 Aug. 2023
Its meaning is simple: Irrespective of what Arjuna does, everything is in the hands of the divine.
—James Temperton, WIRED, 21 July 2023
Yoked with that mind is a clarity of purpose, tinged with a belief in the divine, which can resemble a kind of innocence.
—Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 10 May 2023
In this way, Witt’s lyrics nudge people to foster their own direct relationship with the divine.
—Marcela Valdes, New York Times, 28 June 2023
The Blackfeet acknowledged and accepted individual gender expression and identity because it was granted by the divine.
—Rosalyn R. Lapier, The Conversation, 1 June 2023
They were viewed as having a direct connection to the divine.
—Rosalyn R. Lapier, The Conversation, 1 June 2023
Ron Charles, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2023
Amongst pros, the sentiment that the OWGR seems to be driven more by divining rod than prowess with the putter when all the chips are on the line is a popular one across tour lines.
—Mike Dojc, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023
The animal remains were used in attempts to divine the future by seers who inscribed them with early versions of Chinese characters still used today.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2023
But spare some blame for liberal judges on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals who have now divined in the Constitution a right to public vagrancy.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 7 July 2023
Some University of California professors divine a semi-hidden success story.
—Ilana Marcus, New York Times, 11 June 2023
Munch was not the only young artist trying to divine what lay beneath or beyond the visible world.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 22 June 2023
Ololygmancy divined according to the way dogs barked or howled; tyromancy drew conclusions about the future from patterns in cheese; and tasseography was divination through coffee grounds, wine sediments, or tea leaves.
—Olga Tokarczuk, Harper's Magazine, 6 Jan. 2023
Weaknesses: Themes of loss and grief and divining the truth are buried in the blitz of structural flourishes and misdirection.
—oregonlive, 16 May 2023
See More
Adjective
But of course wisdom often comes from the least obvious sources, and I was tempted to read the divorce theory as a moment of divine madness: the reader being handed one possible interpretive key.
—Hazlitt, 20 Sep. 2023
On this day of Dussehra, may your home be filled with divine energy.
—Jamie Ballard, Woman's Day, 29 Aug. 2023
As a poet, I have been given the cosmic task of alerting world consciousness from the Tao, and the divine intelligence in the Universe.
—Marc Mohan | , oregonlive, 29 Aug. 2023
There is Santa, who has divine strength and déjà vu, and takes on a politician called Ice.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023
This divine flavor combination graces our browned butter frosting, the perfect accompaniment to our Bourbon-Chocolate Cake.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2023
Baker’s plays teach their audiences to listen to the earthbound in order to approach the divine as small miracles and misfortunes unfold within and between characters on stage.
—Liz Appel, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2023
Rooted in Hindu philosophy, Kundalini is a form of divine energy.
—Ysolt Usigan, Woman's Day, 6 Sep. 2023
Liszt felt a particular freedom in the religious arena, where the task of representing the divine and the apocalyptic justified extreme measures.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
Noun
My desktop collection of obsolescent chargers may not obviously connect me with the divine.
—Britt Peterson, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2023
According to pros and believers alike, angel numbers carry messages from the divine.
—Ysolt Usigan, Woman's Day, 5 Sep. 2023
After the rise of Christianity, small white churches began dotting the summits of Sifnos’s hills and mountains, symbolizing proximity to the divine.
—Nick Romeo, The New Republic, 23 Aug. 2023
Its meaning is simple: Irrespective of what Arjuna does, everything is in the hands of the divine.
—James Temperton, WIRED, 21 July 2023
Yoked with that mind is a clarity of purpose, tinged with a belief in the divine, which can resemble a kind of innocence.
—Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 10 May 2023
In this way, Witt’s lyrics nudge people to foster their own direct relationship with the divine.
—Marcela Valdes, New York Times, 28 June 2023
The Blackfeet acknowledged and accepted individual gender expression and identity because it was granted by the divine.
—Rosalyn R. Lapier, The Conversation, 1 June 2023
They were viewed as having a direct connection to the divine.
—Rosalyn R. Lapier, The Conversation, 1 June 2023
Verb
But the focus remains on the mysterious Eliza Touchet — so externally polite, so internally acute — struggling till the end of her life to divine what to believe when the human condition is essentially fraudulent.
—Ron Charles, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2023
Amongst pros, the sentiment that the OWGR seems to be driven more by divining rod than prowess with the putter when all the chips are on the line is a popular one across tour lines.
—Mike Dojc, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023
The animal remains were used in attempts to divine the future by seers who inscribed them with early versions of Chinese characters still used today.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2023
But spare some blame for liberal judges on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals who have now divined in the Constitution a right to public vagrancy.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 7 July 2023
Some University of California professors divine a semi-hidden success story.
—Ilana Marcus, New York Times, 11 June 2023
Munch was not the only young artist trying to divine what lay beneath or beyond the visible world.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 22 June 2023
Ololygmancy divined according to the way dogs barked or howled; tyromancy drew conclusions about the future from patterns in cheese; and tasseography was divination through coffee grounds, wine sediments, or tea leaves.
—Olga Tokarczuk, Harper's Magazine, 6 Jan. 2023
Weaknesses: Themes of loss and grief and divining the truth are buried in the blitz of structural flourishes and misdirection.
—oregonlive, 16 May 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'divine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English divin, from Anglo-French, from Latin divinus, from divus god — more at deity
Noun
Middle English, from Medieval Latin divinus, from Latin, soothsayer, from divinus, adjective — see divine entry 1
Verb
Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French deviner, from Latin divinare, from divinus, noun — see divine entry 1
First Known Use
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of divine was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing divine
Articles Related to divine
Dictionary Entries Near divine
Cite this Entry
“Divine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divine. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
divine
2 of 3 noun
: a member of the clergy
divine
3 of 3 verb
divined; divining
1
: to discover or understand something without reasoning
2
: to practice divination : prophesy
diviner
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on divine
Nglish: Translation of divine for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of divine for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about divine
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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