Definition
To diverge is to part ways — two things that once ran together bend apart and keep going. Roads diverge, opinions diverge, species diverge from a common ancestor. From the Latin dis- 'apart' + vergere 'to bend', and the word's quiet warning is that the angle hardly matters at the start: two lines a degree apart are practically touching at the fork. Give them distance, and the gap becomes a gulf. Divergence is rarely a leap — it is a small difference, compounded by time.
Examples
- The two parties' positions have diverged so far that compromise now seems impossible.
- Their career paths diverged after graduation: one went into research, the other into politics.
- The experimental results diverged sharply from what the model had predicted.
Collocations
diverge from·opinions diverge·diverge sharply·divergent thinking·paths diverge
Synonyms
separate·branch off·deviate·split·drift apart
Antonyms
converge·merge·align
Word family
divergence (noun)·divergent (adjective)
In TOEFL & IELTS
Learn it as the other half of 'converge' — TOEFL geology lectures contrast convergent and divergent plate boundaries, and evolution passages track how species diverge from a common ancestor. Psychology texts test 'divergent thinking' (generating many solutions) against convergent thinking. In IELTS writing, 'opinions diverge on this issue' is a precise opener for discussion essays; the noun phrase is 'a divergence of views'.