diverge
Americanverb (used without object)
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to move, lie, or extend in different directions from a common point; branch off.
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to differ in opinion, character, form, etc.; deviate.
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Mathematics. (of a sequence, series, etc.) to have no unique limit; to have infinity as a limit.
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to turn aside or deviate, as from a path, practice, or plan.
verb (used with object)
verb
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to separate or cause to separate and go in different directions from a point
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(intr) to be at variance; differ
our opinions diverge
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(intr) to deviate from a prescribed course
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(intr) maths (of a series or sequence) to have no limit
Synonym Usage
See deviate.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of diverge
First recorded in 1655–65; from Medieval Latin dīvergere, from Latin dī- di- 2 + vergere “to incline”
Explanation
When two roads diverge, they split and go in different directions. If your opinion diverges from mine, we do not agree. To diverge means to move apart or be separate. The poet, Robert Frost, wrote: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -/ I took the one less traveled by / And that has made all the difference." The word diverge in the poem carries both the meaning of separating and of being apart from the main. As a poet, it was Frost's job to use words properly. Here he does not diverge from this role.
Vocabulary lists containing diverge
List 2
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Twelve Angry Men
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"The Road Not Taken"
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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.
As the U.S. and Israel begin to diverge, America will increasingly find it more difficult to influence Israeli policy.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
But there are other ways that this agreement appears to diverge from US law, tax experts say.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
Regardless, parallels between contemporary artists and Mozart diverge when commercial success figures into the picture.
From Salon • May 16, 2026
The article advocates for candidates willing to challenge their own party and allies on tough decisions, asking Democrats to address organized labor concerns and Republicans to stand up to President Trump when California’s interests diverge.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
After half a million years ago, the human populations of Africa and western Eurasia proceeded to diverge from each other and from East Asian populations in skeletal details.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
