divergent
Americanadjective
-
diverging; differing; deviating.
-
pertaining to or causing divergence.
-
(of a mathematical expression) having no finite limits.
adjective
-
diverging or causing divergence
-
(of opinions, interests, etc) different
-
maths (of a series) having no limit; not convergent
-
botany (of plant organs) farther apart at their tops than at their bases
Usage
The use of divergent to mean different as in they hold widely divergent views is considered by some people to be incorrect
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of divergent
First recorded in 1690–1700, divergent is from the Medieval Latin word dīvergent- (stem of dīvergēns, present participle of dīvergere ). See diverge, -ent
Explanation
Something divergent is moving away from what is expected. Two divergent paths are moving in opposite directions — away from each other. Things that are divergent are diverging — moving away from a path or a standard. A teacher who comes to work in a clown outfit is being divergent; a clown who comes to work in a business suit is also being divergent. A stream is divergent if it is moving in the opposite direction of a river. A politician who is divergent might leave his political party. Divergent people and things are changing course — moving off the beaten path.
Vocabulary lists containing divergent
100 Top "SAT" Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Divergent
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Later on, in middle and high school, I became obsessed with other dystopian fiction books: Divergent, Matched, Uglies, and the like.
From Slate • Mar. 8, 2026
The paper titled "Divergent creativity in humans and large language models" was published in Scientific Reports on January 21, 2026.
From Science Daily • Jan. 25, 2026
Divergent, founded in 2014, has raised more than $1 billion to date.
From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 23, 2025
She graced the covers of Vogue and Elle before pivoting to acting in 2012 with roles in films including “The Divergent Series: Insurgent,” “Assassination Nation,” “Detective Pikachu” and “Misbehaviour.”
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2024
“I love Tris the Divergent, who makes decisions apart from faction loyalty, who isn’t some faction archetype. But the Tris who’s trying as hard as she can to destroy herself... I can’t love her.”
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
