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Synonyms

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.


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In this single lake, more than 800 species have emerged from a shared ancestor in far less time than it took humans and chimpanzees to diverge.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 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

Pollard and Woolf returned to the United States, where racing had been relegalized, and their careers began to diverge.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand