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

One of the most striking discoveries was how early aging paths begin to diverge.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

Typically, hedge fund equity and credit strategies aren’t structurally related, and their correlations can significantly diverge.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Women and men start off relatively equal when they enter the workforce, but within a few years, their earning paths diverge.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 6, 2026

Trump suggest that Kagan and Jackson increasingly diverge not merely in their tactical relationship to the court as an institution.

From Slate • Mar. 4, 2026

Not only did variation and dip diverge from place to place, but in 1634 a group of English experimenters claimed that variation fluctuated over time.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

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