divergence
noun
di·ver·gence
də-ˈvər-jən(t)s 
dī-
1
a
: a drawing apart (as of lines extending from a common center)
b
c
evolutionary biology
: the development of dissimilar traits or features (as of body structure or behavior) in closely related populations, species, or lineages of common ancestry that typically occupy dissimilar environments or ecological niches : divergent evolution
2
: a deviation from a course or standard
3
: the condition of being mathematically divergent
Examples of divergence in a Sentence
a growing divergence of opinion about that U.S. president's place in history
any divergence from the community's strict moral code was met with social ostracism
Recent Examples on the Web
Water currents and thermal barriers isolated these manatees from populations in Mexico and the Caribbean, leading to genetic divergence.
—
Beth Brady, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2025
Some, such as Bologna and now Monaco, do offer divergence from the increasingly identikit football systems.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
Business sees the greatest divergence of any institution, with a 16-point trust gap between high- and low-income groups.
—Richard Edelman, TIME, 19 Jan. 2025
At some point, the divergence between those bureaucrats’ commitments and the President’s wishes might look like subversion.
—Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for divergence 
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Beth Brady, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2025
Some, such as Bologna and now Monaco, do offer divergence from the increasingly identikit football systems.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
Business sees the greatest divergence of any institution, with a 16-point trust gap between high- and low-income groups.
—Richard Edelman, TIME, 19 Jan. 2025
At some point, the divergence between those bureaucrats’ commitments and the President’s wishes might look like subversion.
—Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for divergence
Dictionary Entries Near divergence
Cite this Entry
“Divergence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divergence. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
divergence
noun
di·ver·gence
də-ˈvər-jən(t)s
dī-
: the state of diverging : a drawing apart (as of lines extending from a common center)
Medical Definition
divergence
noun
di·ver·gence
də-ˈvər-jən(t)s, dī-
1
a
: a drawing apart
b
: the acquisition of dissimilar characters by related organisms under the influence of unlike environments
2
: dissemination of the effect of activity of a single nerve cell through multiple synaptic connections compare convergence sense 4
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