divergent

Synonym Chooser

How is the word divergent different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of divergent are different, disparate, diverse, and various. While all these words mean "unlike in kind or character," divergent implies movement away from each other and unlikelihood of ultimate meeting or reconciliation.

went on to pursue divergent careers

When would different be a good substitute for divergent?

While the synonyms different and divergent are close in meaning, different may imply little more than separateness but it may also imply contrast or contrariness.

different foods

When might disparate be a better fit than divergent?

The meanings of disparate and divergent largely overlap; however, disparate emphasizes incongruity or incompatibility.

disparate notions of freedom

When is diverse a more appropriate choice than divergent?

The words diverse and divergent are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, diverse implies both distinctness and marked contrast.

such diverse interests as dancing and football

Where would various be a reasonable alternative to divergent?

The synonyms various and divergent are sometimes interchangeable, but various stresses the number of sorts or kinds.

tried various methods

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of divergent Senate Finance Committee’s chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, had divergent takes Kennedy's role as Health secetary. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025 Though Shakespeare certainly appealed to James’s interests with the Scottish play, the two men held divergent views on what witches did and not do. Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025 Nielsen’s ongoing refinements arrive as the industry tries to straddle the divergent worlds of trad TV and streaming. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 29 Aug. 2025 Gray and Dianna Knockum, the woman who accused him of rape, each testified on a single day, providing wildly divergent versions of what happened on a Wednesday night six months earlier. Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for divergent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for divergent
Adjective
  • Vachon even posed the question of whether working with major brands is all that different from banking on cash rebates that stipulate certain creative conditions, such as having heads of department who come from the countries providing the relief.
    Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Each course is dispatched from a different stall downstairs.
    Clarissa Wei, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The red planet owes its distinctive hue to an oxidizing process that rusts iron present in the rocks and dust of Mars.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Sep. 2025
  • The hotel's architecture features the distinctive geometric patterns and organic designs associated with Wright's work.
    Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have used a massive UK Biobank dataset analysis to identify that fat distribution, not just overall size, maps to distinct changes in brain structure and connectivity.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2025
  • The park encompasses 134 miles of that stretch and is divided into 13 distinct sections.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Old Nazi warheads and US warships have been reclaimed by a new army of diverse marine life, as scientists uncover how nature has made use of the munitions and fleets that ended up dumped in waterways during the two world conflicts.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Film and content studio Wavelength has hired Jessica Wolfson as new executive director of the Wave Grant, a program designed to support emerging filmmakers from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to tell their stories.
    Giana Levy, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Divergent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divergent. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on divergent

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