divine 1 of 3

Definition of divinenext
1
2
as in heavenly
of, relating to, or being God for these divine gifts let us be truly thankful

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

divine

2 of 3

noun

divine

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word divine different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of divine are anticipate, foreknow, and foresee. While all these words mean "to know beforehand," divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment.

was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

When could anticipate be used to replace divine?

Although the words anticipate and divine have much in common, anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens.

the waiter anticipated our every need

When might foreknow be a better fit than divine?

The synonyms foreknow and divine are sometimes interchangeable, but foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation.

if only we could foreknow our own destinies

When can foresee be used instead of divine?

While the synonyms foresee and divine are close in meaning, foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience.

economists should have foreseen the recession

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 divine
Adjective
Some viewed the discovery as a divine gift, while a local priest chastised the explorers for unearthing Satan, saying the blowout was God’s punishment. The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026 Our divine James Wilkie, Loretta and Tabitha, oh God. Tabitha Britt, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
Many believe in erasing the boundaries between church and state, Whitehead added, which can range from thinking religion should play a larger role in government to believing a president is an agent of the divine. N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025 The feminine Shakti There are certainly examples of the feminine divine to be drawn from Christian and other Abrahamic religious traditions. Anya Foxen, The Conversation, 9 Dec. 2025
Verb
Her job is to divine what our shopping habits tell us about our economy and our future. Alina Selyukh, NPR, 28 Nov. 2025 The Etruscan civilization 2,400 years ago in ancient Italy, experts say, believed the future could be divined using chickens, which were said to embody magical qualities. Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 25 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for divine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for divine
Adjective
  • Second, that Carrick was genuinely a player of wonderful ability, who was seen as a tremendous talent from a young age.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Giving family members an opportunity to enjoy the cruise at their own pace can go a long way to creating a trip filled with wonderful memories, Denison says.
    Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The sequence of Enoch among the heavenly hosts, violent, shattering with Blakeian geometry and color.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Zesty orange biscuits lay atop a bubbling mixture of tart plums, brown sugar, and five-spice in this oh-so-heavenly cobbler.
    Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 20 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • What to expect at the installation Mass The longer-than-normal Mass will have a large attendance with many religious figures such as bishops, priests, deacons and other guests.
    Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Hundreds of visitors have visited the chapel in recent days to take photos of the image, the parish priest Father Daniele Micheletti said.
    Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • For reasons that don’t bear going into here, this turned into a bigger fight than anyone anticipated.
    Maya Singer, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2026
  • Nobody could have anticipated that the profound affection Neihardt shared with his wife—later described by biographers as one of the great love stories in American letters—would converge with his work on Black Elk and culminate in one of the most exotic cases in the history of psychical research.
    Shannon Taggart, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Six solid to excellent major leaguers, two average ones and 11 busts.
    Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Use Dryer Balls to Keep Sheets Separated Dryer balls are an excellent tool for combating tangled sheets.
    Anyssa Roberts, The Spruce, 5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The three men—Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders—conducted a 27-minute cosmic travelogue and, at the end, on that cold, holy night, took turns reading from the Book of Genesis.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
  • And, holy cats, what a beautiful dream.
    Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The television series emphasizes the role of Michael Woroniecki, a controversial Christian preacher from Grand Rapids, in the family's lives, though Woroniecki denies any influence.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 30 Jan. 2026
  • What Twin wouldn’t give right now for her own hands to be her mother’s or a preacher’s.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Some foresee this leading to a sort of explosion in the intelligence of AI systems, while others caution that such iteration might work to increase capabilities in some domains — like software engineering — while AI systems will continue to struggle on cognitive or physical abilities.
    Jared Perlo, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
  • The plan also foresees coordination on investment, geological mapping and rapid responses to supply chain disruptions.
    Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Divine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divine. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on divine

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!