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
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
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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.