# divergent

/daɪˈvɝdʒənt/ (US) · /daɪvˈɜːdʒənt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/divergent
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. differing or moving apart

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic

becoming different or moving in different directions from a starting point.

For teachers: developing or moving in different directions; increasingly different in character or form.

- The two friends had divergent paths in life after they finished university.
- The two political parties presented divergent visions for the country's economic future, leading to a stalemate in the negotiations.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'from'.

Teaching tip: This is a high-level academic word. Encourage students to use it when 'different' feels too simple for describing paths, opinions, or trends.

### 2. mathematical series

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

describes a list of numbers that does not get closer to a specific final value.

For teachers: describing a sequence or series that does not approach a finite limit as its terms increase.

- The teacher explained why a divergent series cannot be added up to a single number.
- The student struggled to prove that the harmonic series is divergent despite the individual terms approaching zero.

Usage: Used as a technical classification for sequences and series.

Teaching tip: This is strictly for students of advanced mathematics or physics.

### 3. light rays

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describes light rays that spread out from a single point.

For teachers: causing rays of light to move away from each other.

- A concave lens creates a divergent beam of light.
- The experiment required a divergent lens to spread the laser light across the entire surface of the sensor.

Usage: Usually precedes the noun it modifies, such as 'lens' or 'beam'.

## Examples

- The two rivers follow divergent paths.
- Their career plans took divergent paths after graduation.
- The divergent views on economic policy made a compromise nearly impossible.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.