diverge

[dih-vurj, dahy-]

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.

verb (used with object)

diverged, diverging 

1. to deflect or turn aside.

diverge

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• nondiverging adjective
• undiverging adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of diverge¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of diverge¹

C17: from Medieval Latin dīvergere, from Latin _di- ² + vergere to turn

Synonym Study

See deviate.

Example Sentences

The diverging experience of consumers at the top and the bottom of the wealth spectrum is being referred to as a K-shaped economy.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But the market has changed dramatically in recent years: Investors and companies are adjusting to diverging national approaches to fiduciary duty.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

While the Fed hasn’t followed this or other formulas mechanically, its policy decisions in recent months have diverged notably from what the Taylor Rule would prescribe.

Read more on Barron's

Asylum outcomes can diverge sharply even within a single household, Iranian asylum seekers and legal experts say.

Read more on BBC

We find a rural gas station wedged between diverging paths—one more mysterious than the other.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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