# divine

/dɪˈvaɪn/ (US) · /dɪvˈaɪn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/divine
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. related to God

adjective · CEFR B2

connected to or coming from God or a god.

For teachers: relating to, proceeding from, or being a deity.

- Many ancient cultures believed their kings had a divine right to rule.
- The philosopher argued that the beauty of the natural world was evidence of a divine creator.

### 2. excellent or beautiful

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

extremely good, pleasant, or beautiful.

For teachers: of superhuman or surpassing excellence; used as a superlative for aesthetic or sensory pleasure.

- The chocolate cake we had for dessert was absolutely divine.
- The soprano gave a divine performance that left the entire audience in stunned silence for several moments after the final note.

### 3. to guess or discover

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary

to find out or guess something that is hidden or not obvious.

For teachers: to discover or perceive something by intuition or insight rather than by direct evidence.

- I managed to divine her true feelings despite her polite smile.
- Experienced investors often try to divine the future of the market by looking at subtle shifts in consumer confidence.

### 4. to search for water

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to look for water or minerals underground using a special stick.

For teachers: to search for underground water or minerals by means of a dowsing rod.

- The farmer hired a man to divine for water before digging the new well.
- Although scientists remain sceptical, many rural communities still rely on specialists who claim to divine water using hazel branches.

### 5. a priest or theologian

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Formal

a person who studies religion or works as a priest.

For teachers: a person skilled in divinity or theology; a member of the clergy.

- The old library contained many books written by famous seventeenth-century divines.
- The council consisted of several learned divines who were tasked with interpreting the new religious statutes.

## Examples

- The sunrise over the mountains was absolutely divine.
- Many ancient cultures believed that their kings ruled by divine right, meaning their power came directly from a god.
- The poet spent years attempting to capture the divine harmony of the universe, arguing that even the smallest flower reflected a celestial order beyond human comprehension.

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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.