(no object) formal
1 : to split and move out in different directions from a single point — opposite converge
A prism causes rays of light to diverge.
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood…” Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken” (1916)
2 : to be or become different
They were close friends in college, but after graduation, their lives diverged.
When it comes to politics, their opinions/views diverge. (=they have different opinions/views)
— divergence noun plural divergences
(count)
divergences between dialects
There is a wide divergence of opinion between the parties.
(noncount)
He is studying the levels of divergence between the species.
— divergent adjective, (more divergent; most divergent)
divergent lines/opinions/cultures
Their views are widely divergent.