divergent
gb/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒənt/ us/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒənt/
B2
English
eltérő, széttartó, divergens
B2
1
eltérő
B2
Usage pattern:
divergent [views/opinions/accounts/results]
The witnesses gave divergent accounts of what happened.
A tanúk eltérő beszámolókat adtak arról, mi történt.
Scientists debated two divergent interpretations of the data.
A tudósok az adatok két eltérő értelmezéséről vitatkoztak.
Their priorities were divergent, so the project stalled.
Learner examples
We have divergent opinions about the plan.
Eltérő véleményünk van a tervről.
The two reports are divergent.
A két jelentés eltér egymástól.
Common mistake:
Often confused with diverse: diverse means ‘varied’; divergent often implies ‘not matching’ or ‘not agreeing’.
Meaning
different; not agreeing
Collocations
divergent views
|divergent opinions
|divergent accounts
|divergent results
|divergent approaches
|divergent priorities
|divergent interpretations
|divergent interests
|divergent perspectives
|divergent narratives
Synonyms
conflicting (emphasizes direct disagreement.)
|
different (more general and less formal.)
|
contrasting (highlights clear differences side by side.)
|
inconsistent (stresses lack of logical match.)
Antonyms
consistent (matching or agreeing with each other.)
|
aligned (pointing in the same direction or sharing goals.)
|
similar (not very different.)
Themes
communication
|opinions
|society
|work
Definition
very different and not the same
Different from each other in a noticeable way, especially so that people or things do not agree or match.
B2
2
széttartó
C1
Usage pattern:
divergent [roads/paths/lines/rays]
At the top of the hill, two divergent roads lead to different towns.
A domb tetején két széttartó út különböző városokba vezet.
The flashlight produced a divergent beam that spread across the wall.
A zseblámpa széttartó fénynyalábot bocsátott ki, amely szétterült a falon.
The cracks followed divergent lines from the impact point.
Learner examples
The two paths are divergent.
A két ösvény eltávolodik egymástól.
The roads become divergent after the bridge.
A híd után az utak szétválnak.
Common mistake:
Do not confuse with convergent, which means ‘coming together’.
Meaning
spreading apart from a point
Collocations
divergent paths
|divergent roads
|divergent routes
|divergent lines
|divergent rays
|divergent directions
|divergent trajectories
|divergent branches
|divergent streams
|divergent tracks
Synonyms
separating (plain, everyday wording.)
|
spreading (suggests widening distance.)
|
branching (often used for paths or systems dividing.)
Antonyms
convergent (moving toward the same point.)
|
parallel (running alongside without getting farther apart.)
Themes
travel
|space
|science
Definition
moving away from each other
Moving away from the same point in different directions, or becoming farther apart.
C1
3
széttartó
C1
Usage pattern:
divergent [careers/lives/trajectories/strategies]
After college, their lives took divergent paths.
Az egyetem után az életük külön irányt vett.
The two economies have shown divergent trends over the past decade.
A két gazdaság az elmúlt évtizedben széttartó trendeket mutatott.
As the company expanded, the teams’ goals became increasingly divergent.
Learner examples
Our plans became divergent.
A terveink idővel egyre inkább eltértek egymástól.
Their careers went in divergent directions.
A karrierjük eltérő irányba haladt.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse diverging; divergent is often used as a concise adjective in formal writing (e.g., divergent trajectories).
Meaning
growing apart over time
Collocations
divergent trajectories
|divergent career paths
|divergent strategies
|divergent goals
|divergent outcomes
|divergent developments
|divergent trends
|divergent futures
|divergent directions
|divergent interests
Synonyms
separating (focuses on moving apart.)
|
splitting (suggests a clearer break into two or more parts.)
|
drifting apart (more emotional and informal.)
Antonyms
converging (moving toward the same point or becoming more similar.)
|
uniting (coming together as one.)
Themes
relationships
|work
|change
Definition
becoming more different as time passes
Developing in different directions over time so that the distance or difference between things increases.
C1
TECHNICAL
4
divergens
C2
Usage pattern:
a divergent [series/sequence/integral]
The harmonic series is divergent, even though its terms get smaller.
A harmonikus sor divergens, noha a tagjai egyre kisebbek.
They proved the integral is divergent near zero.
Bizonyították, hogy az integrál nulla közelében divergens.
Without damping, the solution becomes divergent as time increases.
Learner examples
This series is divergent.
Ez a sor divergens.
The integral is divergent.
Az integrál divergens.
Common mistake:
In math, divergent does not simply mean ‘different’; it specifically means ‘not convergent’.
Meaning
not converging in mathematics
Collocations
divergent series
|divergent sequence
|divergent integral
|divergent sum
|divergent behavior
|divergent limit
|divergent term
|divergent expansion
Synonyms
nonconvergent (more explicit technical term.)
|
unbounded (emphasizes growing without limit (not always identical).)
Antonyms
convergent (approaching a finite limit.)
|
bounded (staying within limits (not always equivalent to convergent).)
Themes
math
|education
|science
Definition
not getting closer to one limit (math)
In mathematics, not approaching a finite limit; increasing without settling to a single value.
Grammar
Dictionary form
divergent
IPA
GB/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒənt/
US/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒənt/
Syllables & stress
di - ver - gent (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ver)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: divergent
Word family
Core family
diverge
verb B2
divergence
noun C1
Advanced or less common
divergently
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
Expressions
divergent boundary
1/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒənt bˈaʊndɚi/
fixed phrase
technical
tectonic plates moving apart
where tectonic plates move apart
Examples
- New oceanic crust forms at a divergent boundary along mid-ocean ridges.
- The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a well-known divergent boundary.
- Earthquakes at a divergent boundary are usually relatively shallow.
divergent evolution
1/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒənt ˌɛvəlˈuʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
species evolving into different forms
when related species become more different
Examples
- Island habitats can drive divergent evolution in closely related species.
- The diagram shows divergent evolution from a common ancestor.
- Different diets led to divergent evolution in the two populations.
divergent interests
1/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒənt ˈɪntɚˌɛsts/
fixed phrase
formal
goals that do not match
different goals that may conflict
Examples
- The negotiators struggled to balance divergent interests.
- There were divergent interests between investors and employees.
- The policy tries to reconcile divergent interests within the community.
Learner examples
- They have divergent interests.
divergent paths
1/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒənt pˈæθs/
fixed phrase
lives or plans splitting
go in different directions in life
Examples
- After graduation, they followed divergent paths.
- The two companies took divergent paths as the market changed.
- The story shows how one decision can lead to divergent paths.
Learner examples
- My friends and I took divergent paths.
divergent series
1/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒənt sˈɪɹiz/
fixed phrase
technical
series with no finite limit
a series that does not converge
Examples
- The harmonic series is a classic example of a divergent series.
- They compared a convergent series with a divergent series.
- The test asked students to identify whether the series is divergent.
divergent thinking
1/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒənt θˈɪŋkɪŋ/
fixed phrase
generating many different ideas
thinking of many ideas, not just one
Examples
- The workshop was designed to encourage divergent thinking.
- Good brainstorming sessions rely on divergent thinking before evaluation begins.
- Teachers used games to build students’ divergent thinking skills.
Learner examples
- Brainstorming helps with divergent thinking.
divergent views
1/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒənt vjˈuz/
fixed phrase
strongly different opinions
very different opinions
Examples
- The committee holds divergent views on how to cut costs.
- Despite their divergent views, they agreed to keep talking.
- The article presents two divergent views of the same event.
Learner examples
- We have divergent views on this issue.