divergence

[ dih-vur-juhns, dahy- ]

/ dɪˈvɜr dʒəns, daɪ- /

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noun

the act, fact, or amount of diverging: a divergence in opinion.

(in physics, meteorology, etc.) the total amount of flux escaping an infinitesimal volume at a point in a vector field, as the net flow of air from a given region.

Ophthalmology. a turning motion of the eyeballs outward in relation to each other.

Electronics. the spreading of a stream of electrons resulting from their mutual electrostatic repulsion.

Nearby words

Origin of divergence

From the Medieval Latin word dīvergentia, dating back to 1650–60. See diverge, -ence

SYNONYMS FOR divergence

1. separation, division, variation, deviation.

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ANTONYMS FOR divergence

1. convergence.

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Related formsnon·di·ver·gence, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for divergence

Tris refuses to conform to societal conventions, both in terms of her divergence and her sexuality.
Sex Won’t Kill Young Adult Heroines: ‘Divergent’ and Rape Culture|Amy Zimmerman|March 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And this divergence is taking place even as defense spending is being cut due to the sequester.
Shares of defense contractors rise as Syria tensions mount|Sarah Langs|August 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The study weighed more than a dozen factors to see which were causing the divergence in mortality rates.
Does Joblessness Lower Life Expectancy?|Justin Green|May 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This divergence has an impact on other measurements of social health.
Poverty and Growth: Retro-Urbanists Cling to the Myth of Suburban Decline|Joel Kotkin, Wendell Cox|May 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST

In fact, the divergence in the family patterns of the affluent and the disadvantaged is more a matter of economics than culture.
Charles Murray’s ‘Coming Apart’ and the Culture Myth|Ralph Richard Banks|February 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Practically there is a divergence when their clothing begins to differ, but this is merely artificial.
Household Organization|Florence Caddy
A divergence is the spreading apart of two lines which have been running parallel or nearly parallel.
The Science of Fingerprints|Federal Bureau of Investigation
Here comes the point of divergence; the fittest from among organisms whose variations arise mainly through use and disuse?
Luck or Cunning|Samuel Butler
Yet the divergence of these Nonjurors from the National Church was, after all, far more apparent than real.
The English Church in the Eighteenth Century|Charles J. Abbey and John H. Overton
In an earlier chapter we dealt with the divergence of that play from the English Senecan school of tragedy.
The Growth of English Drama|Arnold Wynne

British Dictionary definitions for divergence

divergence

/ (daɪˈvɜːdʒəns) /

noun

the act or result of diverging or the amount by which something diverges

the condition of being divergent

meteorol the outflowing of airstreams from a particular area, caused by expanding air

maths

the scalar product of the operator, ∇, and a vector function, A, where ∇= i ∂/∂ x + j ∂/∂ y + k ∂/∂ z, and i, j, and k are unit vectors. Usually written: div A, ∇ A, or ∇A.See curl (def. 11), gradient (def. 4)
the property of being divergent

the spreading of a stream of electrons as a result of their mutual electrostatic repulsion

the turning of the eyes outwards in order to fixate an object farther away than that previously being fixatedCompare convergence (def. 7)

Also called: divergent evolution the evolutionary development of structures or organisms that differ from each other in form and function but have evolved from the same basic structure or organismCompare convergence (def. 5)

Also called (for senses 1, 2): divergency

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

Word Origin and History for divergence

divergence

1650s, from Modern Latin divergentia, from divergens (see diverge). Related: Divergency.

Medicine definitions for divergence

divergence

[ dĭ-vûr′jəns, dī- ]

n.

A moving or spreading apart in different directions from a common point.

The degree by which things deviate or spread apart.

A turning of both eyes outward from a common point or of one eye when the other is fixed.

The spreading of branches of the neuron to form synapses with several other neurons.

The evolutionary process by which organisms descended from a common ancestor tend to acquire different forms when living under different conditions.

Related formsdi•ver′gent adj.

Science definitions for divergence

divergence

[ dĭ-vûr′jəns ]

Mathematics The property or manner of failing to approach a limit, such as a point, line, or value.

Biology The evolution of different forms or structures in related species as they adapt to different environments. An example of divergence is the development of wings in bats from the same bones that form the arm and hand or paw in most other mammals. Also called divergent evolution Compare convergence.