Divergent

Divergent means tending to differ; moving apart or developing in different directions. It can describe opinions, paths, or outcomes that are not in agreement or not converging.

adjective

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Imagine This

Two rescue divers urgently dived into the pool to save someone reported drowning. They couldn't find the person, so they separated and went in different directions to cover more area in less time.

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Sounds Like

dih-VUR-juhnt

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Looks Like

diverge (verb) root

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Remember This

Divergent shares a root with diverge and divergence; from Latin divergere 'to turn aside'. In math, divergence is a separate concept about how a vector field spreads out from a point.

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Other Forms

divergeverb

divergencenoun

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Connect With

Divide, divert, diverge, divorce (related to separation); note the contrast with converge, which means to come together.

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Note

Divergent is not the same as 'diverse' (varied by kind); use 'divergent' for moving apart or differing; the noun form is 'divergence' and the verb is 'diverge'. Be careful not to confuse with 'diversion' (a distraction).

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Study Deeper

Examples

Their opinions on the issue were divergent, making it hard to reach a decision.
The two trails followed divergent routes up the mountain, each offering a different view.

Synonyms

differentvaryingdiversedisparatecontrasting

Antonyms

convergentsimilaruniform

Etymology

From Latin divergens, divergere 'to turn away, separate'. The prefix 'di-' means apart, and 'vergere' means to turn.

Mnemonic

Mnemonic: DI-VERG-ENT. Think of two diverging paths at a fork in the road, with VERG representing turning apart.