diverge

American  

[dih-vurj, dahy-] / dɪˈvɜrdʒ, daɪ- /

verb (used without object)

diverged, diverging

1. to move, lie, or extend in different directions from a common point; branch off.

   Synonyms:

   fork, deviate, separate

2. to differ in opinion, character, form, etc.; deviate.

3. Mathematics. (of a sequence, series, etc.) to have no unique limit; to have infinity as a limit.

4. to turn aside or deviate, as from a path, practice, or plan.

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verb (used with object)

diverged, diverging

1. to deflect or turn aside.

diverge British  

/ daɪˈvɜːdʒ /

verb

1. to separate or cause to separate and go in different directions from a point

2. (intr) to be at variance; differ

   our opinions diverge

3. (intr) to deviate from a prescribed course

4. (intr) maths (of a series or sequence) to have no limit

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Related Words

See deviate.

Other Word Forms

• nondiverging adjective
• undiverging adjective

Etymology

Origin of diverge

First recorded in 1655–65; from Medieval Latin dīvergere, from Latin dī- di- ² + vergere “to incline”

Example Sentences

The two girls’ ambitions diverge in their teens.

From The Wall Street Journal

They eventually diverged, with anatomically modern humans evolving in Africa, and Neanderthals migrating across Eurasia.

From Barron's

As a result, markets’ expectations of central banks’ rate paths have turned dovish and are increasingly diverging from resilient macro fundamentals and central bank rhetoric, the French bank’s head of rates strategy says.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now practically brothers, the young men are making their name as a well-regarded kabuki duo, but their personalities have begun to diverge.

From Los Angeles Times

The difference in approach and emotional register seemed to imply something, yet the two speeches didn’t diverge in policy.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• deviate
• differ
• disagree
• dissent
• stray
• vary