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.
The authors found that early squamate evolution involved a great deal of anatomical experimentation and convergent evolution, which helps explain why the earliest snake story has been so difficult to untangle from fossils alone.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 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
This process of carcinisation is a form of convergent evolution.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2025
The details of convergent evolution might of course be more complex in the eukaryotes, multicellular organisms like humans or decapods with large genomes, the total genetic material of an organism.
From Salon ● Oct. 14, 2024
When rocket propellant burned, it first produced a river of gas that flowed into the convergent section of the nozzle.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
