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.
Origin of divergence
From the Medieval Latin word dīvergentia, dating back to 1650–60. See diverge, -ence
The divergence came to a head quickly, during the overhaul of NAFTA, which Lighthizer conducted at warp speed for a trade agreement.
Robert Lighthizer Blew Up 60 Years of Trade Policy. Nobody Knows What Happens Next.|by Lydia DePillis|October 13, 2020|ProPublica
Of course, there is also divergence in moral views, and it’s a challenge for any believer in objective value to explain this.
The Universe Knows Right from Wrong - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Philip Goff|September 9, 2020|Nautilus
Tris refuses to conform to societal conventions, both in terms of her divergence and her sexuality.
Sex Won’t Kill Young Adult Heroines: ‘Divergent’ and Rape Culture|Amy Zimmerman|March 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And this divergence is taking place even as defense spending is being cut due to the sequester.
Shares of defense contractors rise as Syria tensions mount|Sarah Langs|August 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The study weighed more than a dozen factors to see which were causing the divergence in mortality rates.
Does Joblessness Lower Life Expectancy?|Justin Green|May 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This divergence has an impact on other measurements of social health.
Poverty and Growth: Retro-Urbanists Cling to the Myth of Suburban Decline|Joel Kotkin, Wendell Cox|May 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In fact, the divergence in the family patterns of the affluent and the disadvantaged is more a matter of economics than culture.
Charles Murray’s ‘Coming Apart’ and the Culture Myth|Ralph Richard Banks|February 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Practically there is a divergence when their clothing begins to differ, but this is merely artificial.
Household Organization|Florence Caddy
A divergence is the spreading apart of two lines which have been running parallel or nearly parallel.
The Science of Fingerprints|Federal Bureau of Investigation
Here comes the point of divergence; the fittest from among organisms whose variations arise mainly through use and disuse?
Luck or Cunning|Samuel Butler
Yet the divergence of these Nonjurors from the National Church was, after all, far more apparent than real.
The English Church in the Eighteenth Century|Charles J. Abbey and John H. Overton
In an earlier chapter we dealt with the divergence of that play from the English Senecan school of tragedy.
The Growth of English Drama|Arnold Wynne
British Dictionary definitions for divergence
divergence
/ (daɪˈvɜːdʒəns) /
noun
the act or result of diverging or the amount by which something diverges
the condition of being divergent
meteorolthe outflowing of airstreams from a particular area, caused by expanding air
maths
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 (def. 11), gradient (def. 4)
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 fixatedCompare convergence (def. 7)
Also called: divergent evolutionthe evolutionary development of structures or organisms that differ from each other in form and function but have evolved from the same basic structure or organismCompare convergence (def. 5)
MathematicsThe property or manner of failing to approach a limit, such as a point, line, or value.
BiologyThe 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.