divine

[dih-vahyn]

adjective

diviner, divinest 

1. of or relating to a god, especially the Supreme Being.

2. addressed, appropriated, or devoted to God or a god; religious; sacred.

   divine worship.

3. proceeding from God or a god.

   divine laws;

   divine guidance.

4. godlike; characteristic of or befitting a deity.

   divine magnanimity.

5. heavenly; celestial.

   the divine kingdom.

   Antonyms: mundane, worldly

6. extremely good; unusually lovely.

   He has the most divine tenor voice.

7. being a god; being God.

   Zeus, Hera, and other divine beings in Greek mythology.

8. of superhuman or surpassing excellence.

   Beauty is divine.

9. Obsolete.,  of or relating to divinity or theology.

noun

1. a theologian; scholar in religion.

2. a priest or member of the clergy.

3. the Divine,

   1. God.

   2. (sometimes lowercase),  the spiritual aspect of humans; the group of attributes and qualities of humankind regarded as godly or godlike.

verb (used with object)

divined, divining 

1. to discover or declare (something obscure or in the future) by divination; prophesy.

   Synonyms: forecast, foresee, predict, foretell

2. to discover (water, metal, etc.) by means of a divining rod.

3. to perceive by intuition or insight; conjecture.

   She divined personal details about her customers based on their clothing and accents.

   It was not difficult to divine his true intent.

   Synonyms: understand, discern

4. Archaic.,  to portend.

verb (used without object)

divined, divining 

1. to use or practice divination; prophesy.

   Synonyms: forecast, foresee, predict, foretell

2. to have perception by intuition or insight; conjecture.

   Synonyms: understand, discern

divine

/ dɪˈvaɪn /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterizing God or a deity

2. godlike

3. of, relating to, or associated with religion or worship

   the divine liturgy

4. of supreme excellence or worth

5. informal,  splendid; perfect

noun

1. (often capital) another term for God

2. a priest, esp one learned in theology

verb

1. to perceive or understand (something) by intuition or insight

2. to conjecture (something); guess

3. to discern (a hidden or future reality) as though by supernatural power

4. (tr) to search for (underground supplies of water, metal, etc) using a divining rod

Other Word Forms

• divinable adjective
• divinely adverb
• divineness noun
• half-divine adjective
• half-divinely adverb
• predivinable adjective
• pseudodivine adjective
• subdivine adjective
• subdivinely adverb
• subdivineness noun
• superdivine adjective
• undivinable adjective
• undivined adjective
• undivining adjective
• diviner noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of divine¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English divin(e), devin(e), from Old French devin(e), Latin dīvīnus, equivalent to dīv(us) “god” + -īnus -ine ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of divine¹

C14: from Latin dīvīnus, from dīvus a god; related to deus a god

Example Sentences

Ultimately he follows a divine calling to return to Ireland and spread Christianity.

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He grumbles that it’s hard to open up to someone who can already “divine your secrets at a glance.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Catholic Church has not taken an official position on the shroud’s veracity, but the exhibit’s organizers find the evidence for its divine provenance convincing and hope others will too.

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Having read an ancient 700,000-word book only once might prompt an ordinary person, particularly one who takes that book as divine in origin, to express his views tentatively.

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Grandma’s not frolicking around in some divine paradise.

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Related Words

• angelic 
• celestial 
• eternal 
• heavenly 
• holy 
• mystical 
• religious 
• sacred 
• spiritual 
• supernatural 
• transcendent 
• wonderful