1
Move apart
Separate from a shared path or point.
Example
The trails diverge beyond the bridge.
diverge
/daɪˈvɜːdʒ/ · dy-VURJverb
To move, develop, or differ in separate directions.
Use diverge when the context supports this precise sense: to move, develop, or differ in separate directions.
What diverge Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Develop differently
Change in increasingly distinct directions.
Example
The two dialects diverged over several centuries.
3
Disagree in judgment
Reach different conclusions or positions.
Example
The reviewers diverge sharply in their interpretation of the ending.
Use diverge Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The trails diverge beyond the bridge.
The two dialects diverged over several centuries.
The reviewers diverge sharply in their interpretation of the ending.
Precision Matters
Diverge overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
diverge
vs.Means to move, develop, or differ in separate directions.
coalesce
Means to come together and form one larger whole.
diverge
vs.Means to move, develop, or differ in separate directions.
disperse
Means to scatter or spread in different directions.
diverge
vs.Means to move, develop, or differ in separate directions.
deviate
Means depart from an established course or standard.
diverge
vs.Means to move, develop, or differ in separate directions.
converge
Means come together toward a shared point.
Test diverge in Context
The forecasts develop in separate directions from an initial agreement.
1
The models agree for short time spans but ___ as their assumptions produce increasingly different forecasts.