convergent
Americanadjective
adjective
-
(of two or more lines, paths, etc) moving towards or meeting at some common point
-
(of forces, ideas, etc) tending towards the same result; merging
-
maths (of an infinite series) having a finite limit
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of convergent
First recorded in 1720–30, convergent is from the Late Latin word convergent- (stem of convergēns, present participle of convergere ). See converge, -ent
Explanation
If you're a Red Sox fan and your cousin loves the Yankees but you both agree baseball is a wonderful game, that's a convergent idea — in other words an idea that brings you together. Convergent applies to anything that is arrived at from different paths, not just an idea. Two trains, for example, arriving at the same station from different directions are said to be convergent; or two species of animals inhabiting the same environment that grow more and more alike in habit are also said to be convergent. The opposite of convergent is divergent — as in a Red Sox fan and a Yankees fan arguing about which is the better team.
Vocabulary lists containing convergent
"How Smart Are Animals?" by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
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Vincent and Theo
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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.
"This human arm was used to provide translational context, asking whether chronic disease tissue shows convergent signatures of altered lipid handling and reduced vascular stability."
From Science Daily • Apr. 26, 2026
It’s an example of convergent evolution, when completely unrelated species independently evolve comparable traits in response to similar environmental pressures.
From Slate • Jan. 25, 2026
"The convergent evolution of crabs has happened about five times in history, but it's happened within the group of decapods."
From BBC • Oct. 17, 2025
McInerney was lead author on a study on convergent evolution in bacteria that helps us understand how this background might work, and to distinguish these two ways convergence may occur.
From Salon • Oct. 14, 2024
They are—after all this time, from Zundert to now, through all their ups and downs, their divergent and convergent paths—bound together, brothers, friends.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
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.
