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
Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023
Sound baths and orgasmic breathwork hosted by the resort sounded divine.
—Keyaira Boone, Essence, 7 Nov. 2023
An emotional chiaroscuro, her facial expression is etched into marble to communicate the extreme agony and ecstasy caused by fleeting contact with the divine and an immense sense of loss brought on by the knowledge that such a momentous experience must soon come to an end.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Ars Technica, 30 Oct. 2023
And like most mythical creatures, the griffin also took on an association with Christianity, since the creature was both beast and bird, like Christ, who was both mortal and divine.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2023
Three spiritual stones, four divine beasts, seven dapper dongles, whatever.
—WIRED, 9 Nov. 2023
Luxe potpourri Make someone’s stocking smell divine with this Santa Maria Novella potpourri bag, which features notes of bergamot, lavender, thyme and rosemary.
—Bellamy Richardson, wsj.com, 8 Nov. 2023
As a result, Lovejoy has become somewhat of a celestial, guiding the ideas and sounds of others from high above as a divine craftsman.
—Kyle Lamar Rice, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2023
This divine cake makes use of seven Milky Way candy bars (plus additional for garnishing) for a decadent dessert that will have kids and adults clamoring for more.
—Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2023
John Anderson, WSJ, 31 Oct. 2023
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
Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
The words in her poems are like divining rods wiggling above an icy stream.
—The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2023
Polls cannot divine the future and should not be treated as gospel truth.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2023
The productions are closely guarded secrets; some residents routinely drive past plots of land where Donaldson has built sets in the past, trying to divine what might come next.
—Taylor Lorenz, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023
Americans invest personal productivity with moral weight, as though human worth can be divined through careful examination of work product, both professional and personal.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2023
The writhing moon goddesses in celestial white linen, beholden to neither human nor lease, vagabonds with steal-your-soul smiles, divining off-kilter rhythms from the dark star void.
—Jeff Weiss, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023
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
See More
Adjective
Taylor Swift received a divine welcome upon her arrival in Brazil.
—Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023
Sound baths and orgasmic breathwork hosted by the resort sounded divine.
—Keyaira Boone, Essence, 7 Nov. 2023
An emotional chiaroscuro, her facial expression is etched into marble to communicate the extreme agony and ecstasy caused by fleeting contact with the divine and an immense sense of loss brought on by the knowledge that such a momentous experience must soon come to an end.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Ars Technica, 30 Oct. 2023
And like most mythical creatures, the griffin also took on an association with Christianity, since the creature was both beast and bird, like Christ, who was both mortal and divine.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2023
Three spiritual stones, four divine beasts, seven dapper dongles, whatever.
—WIRED, 9 Nov. 2023
Luxe potpourri Make someone’s stocking smell divine with this Santa Maria Novella potpourri bag, which features notes of bergamot, lavender, thyme and rosemary.
—Bellamy Richardson, wsj.com, 8 Nov. 2023
As a result, Lovejoy has become somewhat of a celestial, guiding the ideas and sounds of others from high above as a divine craftsman.
—Kyle Lamar Rice, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2023
This divine cake makes use of seven Milky Way candy bars (plus additional for garnishing) for a decadent dessert that will have kids and adults clamoring for more.
—Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2023
Noun
One needn’t be a true believer to be fascinated by the holy relics of the Catholic Church, objects credited with the ability to facilitate miracles and even provide access to the divine.
—John Anderson, WSJ, 31 Oct. 2023
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
Verb
But determining whether the current course of action is rational requires knowing whether China is a selectively opportunist or an expansionist power, which, in turn, requires divining Beijing’s intentions.
—Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
The words in her poems are like divining rods wiggling above an icy stream.
—The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2023
Polls cannot divine the future and should not be treated as gospel truth.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2023
The productions are closely guarded secrets; some residents routinely drive past plots of land where Donaldson has built sets in the past, trying to divine what might come next.
—Taylor Lorenz, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023
Americans invest personal productivity with moral weight, as though human worth can be divined through careful examination of work product, both professional and personal.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2023
The writhing moon goddesses in celestial white linen, beholden to neither human nor lease, vagabonds with steal-your-soul smiles, divining off-kilter rhythms from the dark star void.
—Jeff Weiss, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023
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
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 2 Dec. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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