divergent
gb/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒənt/ us/daɪvˈɚd͡ʒənt/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
different; not agreeing
very different and not the same
Usage pattern:
divergent [views/opinions/accounts/results]
Common mistake:
Often confused with diverse: diverse means ‘varied’; divergent often implies ‘not matching’ or ‘not agreeing’.
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.)
Collocations
divergent views
|divergent opinions
|divergent accounts
|divergent results
|divergent approaches
|divergent priorities
|divergent interpretations
|divergent interests
|divergent perspectives
|divergent narratives
Themes
communication
|opinions
|society
|work
Examples
- The witnesses gave divergent accounts of what happened.
- Scientists debated two divergent interpretations of the data.
- Their priorities were divergent, so the project stalled.
Learner examples
- We have divergent opinions about the plan.
- The two reports are divergent.
adjective
B2
property
2
spreading apart from a point
moving away from each other
Usage pattern:
divergent [roads/paths/lines/rays]
Common mistake:
Do not confuse with convergent, which means ‘coming together’.
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.)
Collocations
divergent paths
|divergent roads
|divergent routes
|divergent lines
|divergent rays
|divergent directions
|divergent trajectories
|divergent branches
|divergent streams
|divergent tracks
Themes
travel
|space
|science
Examples
- At the top of the hill, two divergent roads lead to different towns.
- The flashlight produced a divergent beam that spread across the wall.
- The cracks followed divergent lines from the impact point.
Learner examples
- The two paths are divergent.
- The roads become divergent after the bridge.
adjective
C1
process
3
growing apart over time
becoming more different as time passes
Usage pattern:
divergent [careers/lives/trajectories/strategies]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse diverging; divergent is often used as a concise adjective in formal writing (e.g., divergent trajectories).
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.)
Collocations
divergent trajectories
|divergent career paths
|divergent strategies
|divergent goals
|divergent outcomes
|divergent developments
|divergent trends
|divergent futures
|divergent directions
|divergent interests
Themes
relationships
|work
|change
Examples
- After college, their lives took divergent paths.
- The two economies have shown divergent trends over the past decade.
- As the company expanded, the teams’ goals became increasingly divergent.
Learner examples
- Our plans became divergent.
- Their careers went in divergent directions.
adjective
technical
C1
property
4
not converging in mathematics
not getting closer to one limit (math)
Usage pattern:
a divergent [series/sequence/integral]
Common mistake:
In math, divergent does not simply mean ‘different’; it specifically means ‘not convergent’.
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).)
Collocations
divergent series
|divergent sequence
|divergent integral
|divergent sum
|divergent behavior
|divergent limit
|divergent term
|divergent expansion
Themes
math
|education
|science
Examples
- The harmonic series is divergent, even though its terms get smaller.
- They proved the integral is divergent near zero.
- Without damping, the solution becomes divergent as time increases.
Learner examples
- This series is divergent.
- The integral is divergent.
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.
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.
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.
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.