divergence
gb/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒəns/ us/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒəns/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
formal
C1
relation
1
a difference in opinions or interests
a clear difference in what people think or want
Usage pattern:
divergence between [groups/things] (over/on [issue])
Common mistake:
Often confused with disagreement; divergence can be gradual and does not always imply conflict.
Synonyms
difference (More general and less formal.)
|
discrepancy (Emphasizes an unexpected or problematic mismatch.)
Antonyms
agreement (Same or compatible views or aims.)
|
convergence (Moving toward similarity over time.)
Collocations
a divergence of opinion
|a divergence of views
|political divergence
|policy divergence
|cultural divergence
|ideological divergence
|a growing divergence
|a sharp divergence
|significant divergence
|divergence between partners
Themes
communication
|politics
|business
|relationships
Examples
- There is a clear divergence between what the company promises and what customers experience.
- The talks collapsed because of divergence on key issues.
- Over time, a divergence in their priorities put strain on the partnership.
Learner examples
- There is a divergence between their opinions.
- We noticed a divergence in our goals.
Noun
formal
C1
relation
2
deviation from a standard or plan
going away from what is normal or planned
Usage pattern:
divergence from [standard/plan/path]
Common mistake:
Learners may use *divergency*; the correct noun is divergence.
Synonyms
departure (Often implies leaving an established practice or rule.)
|
deviation (More common in everyday use; can suggest an error.)
Antonyms
adherence (Sticking closely to rules or a plan.)
|
compliance (Following requirements or standards.)
Collocations
divergence from the plan
|divergence from guidelines
|divergence from protocol
|a marked divergence
|a slight divergence
|unacceptable divergence
|divergence in results
|divergence in performance
|divergence in outcomes
|divergence from the norm
Themes
daily_life
|business
|education
Examples
- Any divergence from the safety procedure must be reported immediately.
- The auditor flagged a divergence from company policy.
- Small divergences in measurement can lead to big problems later.
Learner examples
- This is a divergence from the rules.
- We saw a divergence from the plan.
Noun
B2
process
3
lines or paths moving apart
when two paths go in different directions
Usage pattern:
divergence of [lines/paths/routes]
Common mistake:
Do not confuse with convergence (coming together).
Synonyms
separation (Broader; does not specifically imply different directions.)
|
branching (Emphasizes splitting into branches.)
Antonyms
convergence (Moving toward each other.)
Collocations
divergence of routes
|divergence of paths
|divergence of roads
|a point of divergence
|the divergence of two lines
|the divergence of a river
|divergence angle
|divergence of directions
Themes
travel
|science
Examples
- After the bridge, there’s a divergence where the road splits in two.
- The diagram shows the divergence of the two lines as x increases.
- At the divergence, take the left-hand path toward the lake.
Learner examples
- The two roads meet and then show divergence.
- Turn left at the divergence.
Noun
technical
C1
quantity
4
spreading of a beam or flow
how much a beam spreads out
Usage pattern:
[beam/laser] divergence
Common mistake:
Often used as a measurable property (e.g., milliradians), not just a general idea of ‘difference.’
Synonyms
spread (Less precise; not necessarily a measured optical property.)
Antonyms
collimation (Keeping rays parallel; minimizing spread.)
Collocations
laser divergence
|beam divergence
|low divergence
|high divergence
|angular divergence
|reduce divergence
|measure divergence
|divergence angle
Themes
science
|technology
Examples
- This pointer has low divergence, so the spot stays small at a distance.
- Engineers measured the beam divergence to confirm the lens was aligned.
- High divergence makes the laser less useful for long-range targeting.
Learner examples
- The laser has low divergence.
- Divergence tells us how much the beam spreads.
Noun
technical
C2
quantity
5
difference between probability distributions
a number that shows how different two probability patterns are
Usage pattern:
divergence between [distributions/models]
Common mistake:
In statistics/ML, ‘divergence’ often refers to a family of measures and may not be symmetric (A to B may differ from B to A).
Synonyms
distance (Often used informally; many divergences are not true mathematical distances.)
Antonyms
similarity (General opposite idea (not a specific technical measure).)
Collocations
KL divergence
|Kullback–Leibler divergence
|Jensen–Shannon divergence
|estimate divergence
|minimize divergence
|divergence measure
|divergence between distributions
|distributional divergence
Themes
math
|data_science
|technology
Examples
- They used KL divergence to compare the model’s predictions with the observed data.
- Lower divergence indicates the two distributions are more alike.
- Regularization can be framed as penalizing divergence from a prior distribution.
Noun
technical
C2
quantity
6
net outward flow at a point
a math value showing how much a field spreads out
Usage pattern:
the divergence of [a vector field]
Common mistake:
Not the same as ‘divergence’ meaning disagreement; this is a specific mathematical operator (∇·F).
Synonyms
∇·F (Symbolic name for the same operator.)
Antonyms
curl (Different vector-calculus operator describing rotation, not outflow.)
Collocations
compute the divergence
|the divergence of a field
|positive divergence
|negative divergence
|divergence operator
|zero divergence
|divergence-free field
|take the divergence
Themes
math
|physics
|engineering
Examples
- The divergence of the velocity field is zero for an incompressible fluid.
- We computed the divergence to locate sources and sinks in the flow.
- A positive divergence indicates net outward flux near that point.
Noun
technical
C2
relation
7
price and indicator moving differently
when price and an indicator show different trends
Usage pattern:
divergence between [price] and [indicator]
Common mistake:
Not all divergences predict a reversal; it is often treated as a warning sign rather than proof.
Synonyms
disconnect (More informal; less precise than the charting term.)
Antonyms
confirmation (When price and indicator support the same trend.)
Collocations
bullish divergence
|bearish divergence
|RSI divergence
|MACD divergence
|spot divergence
|a divergence signal
|hidden divergence
|momentum divergence
|divergence between price and RSI
Themes
finance
|business
Examples
- Traders noted a bearish divergence as prices made new highs but RSI did not.
- The chart shows divergence between the index and its momentum indicator.
- They waited for additional confirmation instead of trading on divergence alone.
Noun
technical
C1
process
8
species becoming more different over time
when groups of living things become more different
Usage pattern:
genetic/evolutionary divergence between [populations/species]
Common mistake:
Distinguish from ‘diversity’: divergence is a process of becoming different, not the amount of variety at one time.
Synonyms
differentiation (More general; not always specifically evolutionary.)
Antonyms
convergence (Independent evolution toward similar traits.)
Collocations
genetic divergence
|evolutionary divergence
|divergence time
|divergence between species
|rapid divergence
|divergence due to isolation
|measure divergence
|phylogenetic divergence
Themes
biology
|science
|education
Examples
- Geographic isolation can drive divergence between populations.
- The study estimates divergence times using DNA sequences.
- Divergence in beak shape helped the birds adapt to different food sources.
Learner examples
- The two groups show divergence over time.
Grammar
Dictionary form
divergence
IPA
GB/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒəns/
US/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒəns/
Syllables & stress
di - ver - gence (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ver)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: divergence
- Plural: divergence, divergences
Word family
Expressions
bearish divergence
1/bˈɛɹɪʃ daɪvˈɚd͡ʒəns/
fixed phrase
technical
potential downward reversal signal
a sign that a rise may be ending
Examples
- A bearish divergence appeared as the stock hit a new high but the MACD fell.
- Traders reduced risk after spotting bearish divergence on the daily chart.
- The rally continued for a while despite the bearish divergence.
bullish divergence
1/bˈʊlɪʃ daɪvˈɚd͡ʒəns/
fixed phrase
technical
potential upward reversal signal
a sign that a fall may be ending
Examples
- The analyst pointed to a bullish divergence on the RSI.
- A bullish divergence formed as the price dipped again but momentum improved.
- They entered the trade only after the bullish divergence was confirmed by a breakout.
divergence from the norm
1/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒəns fɹˈʌm ðə nˈɔɹm/
fixed phrase
formal
deviation from what is usual
something is different from what is normal
Examples
- The report treats the incident as a divergence from the norm rather than a systemic issue.
- Teachers noticed a divergence from the norm in test scores this year.
- The design is a deliberate divergence from the norm.
divergence of opinion
1/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒəns əv əpˈɪnjən/
fixed phrase
formal
difference in what people think
people do not share the same opinion
Examples
- A divergence of opinion emerged over how to handle the budget.
- Despite some divergence of opinion, the team reached a compromise.
- The committee acknowledged a divergence of opinion among experts.
divergence of views
1/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒəns əv vjˈuz/
fixed phrase
formal
difference in viewpoints
people see something differently
Examples
- There was a divergence of views on whether the change would help customers.
- The summit ended with a statement noting a divergence of views.
- They met again to narrow the divergence of views on strategy.
divergence theorem
1/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒəns θˈɪɹəm/
fixed phrase
technical
flux equals volume divergence integral
a math rule linking surface flow and divergence
Examples
- We used the divergence theorem to convert the surface integral into a volume integral.
- The divergence theorem is especially useful for computing flux through closed surfaces.
- In electromagnetism, the divergence theorem helps connect local and global forms of laws.
point of divergence
1/pˈɔɪnt əv daɪvˈɚd͡ʒəns/
fixed phrase
moment when things start differing
the moment when things start to be different
Examples
- The merger talks hit a point of divergence when the valuation came up.
- In the novel, the point of divergence is the election that never happened in real life.
- The map marks the point of divergence where the trail splits.