divagation

noun

Definition of divagationnext
1
as in tangent
a departure from the subject under consideration this may well appear to be a divagation at first, but I hope to establish the relevance

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in deviation
a turning away from a course or standard a self-consciously "literary" novel that represents a major divagation from traditional narrative

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for divagation
  1. tangent
  2. deviation
  3. departure
Noun
  • After the event was disrupted by an armed intruder, the Administration and the association scheduled a July do-over, where Trump delivered a rambling speech indulging seemingly every tangent that sprang to mind, but his contempt remained apparent.
    — Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
  • That got Cristobal off on a tangent about the type of players that UM targets.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of tangent
Noun
  • Any deviation from the standard of care felt like a reckless gamble with death.
    — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Many proteins have significant regions where limited changes to their amino acid sequence are tolerable and other areas where even a slight deviation from the existing sequence inactivates the protein.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of deviation
Noun
  • Hill’s departure marks the end of an extraordinary run in one of heavy metal’s defining bands.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Minervini’s departure at least temporarily ends his long run as a studio host/sports anchor in South Florida.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of departure
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.

Browse Nearby Words

diva
divagation
divagations
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Cite this Entry

“Divagation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divagation. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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