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[dih-vur-juh ns, dahy-] /dɪˈvɜr dʒəns, daɪ-/
the act, fact, or amount of diverging:
a divergence in opinion.
(in physics, meteorology, etc.) the total amount of flux escaping an infinitesimal volume at a point in a vector field, as the net flow of air from a given region.
Ophthalmology. a turning motion of the eyeballs outward in relation to each other.
Electronics. the spreading of a stream of electrons resulting from their mutual electrostatic repulsion.
1650-60; < Medieval Latin dīvergentia. See diverge, -ence
Related forms
nondivergence, noun
1. separation, division, variation, deviation.
1. convergence. Unabridged
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Examples from the web for divergence
  • Review the difference between convergence and divergence.
  • Between that root and those tips lie millions of branching points, representing historical moments of evolutionary divergence.
  • The great divergence and critical difference is between two concepts of public law.
  • But there is also a divergence of intellectual tradition.
  • That is one of the reasons there is a divergence in price between oil and gas.
  • Here the divergence in viewpoint between the economist, the businessman, and Congress is likely to be less than usual.
  • Untruthful is a softer term and suggests lack of veracity and divergence from fact: made an untruthful statement.
  • Acoustical factors influence the choice of a tempo but account less for the divergence.
  • There are several reasons for this divergence.
  • He notes that there has been a sharp divergence in capacity .
British Dictionary definitions for divergence


the act or result of diverging or the amount by which something diverges
the condition of being divergent
(meteorol) the outflowing of airstreams from a particular area, caused by expanding air
  1. the scalar product of the operator, ∇, and a vector function, A, where ∇= i∂/∂x + j∂/∂y+ k∂/∂z, and i, j, and k are unit vectors. Usually written: div A, A, or ∇A. See curl (sense 11), gradient (sense 4)
  2. the property of being divergent
the spreading of a stream of electrons as a result of their mutual electrostatic repulsion
the turning of the eyes outwards in order to fixate an object farther away than that previously being fixated Compare convergence (sense 7)
Also called divergent evolution. the evolutionary development of structures or organisms that differ from each other in form and function but have evolved from the same basic structure or organism Compare convergence (sense 5)
Also called (for senses 1, 2) divergency
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for divergence


Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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divergence in Medicine

divergence di·ver·gence (dĭ-vûr'jəns, dī-)

  1. A moving or spreading apart in different directions from a common point.

  2. The degree by which things deviate or spread apart.

  3. A turning of both eyes outward from a common point or of one eye when the other is fixed.

  4. The spreading of branches of the neuron to form synapses with several other neurons.

  5. The evolutionary process by which organisms descended from a common ancestor tend to acquire different forms when living under different conditions.

di·ver'gent adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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divergence in Science
  1. Mathematics The property or manner of failing to approach a limit, such as a point, line, or value.

  2. Biology The evolution of different forms or structures in related species as they adapt to different environments. An example of divergence is the development of wings in bats from the same bones that form the arm and hand or paw in most other mammals. Also called divergent evolution. Compare convergence.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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