divergence

A growing separation or difference between things, directions, or opinions.

• There is a divergence of opinion.
• The graph shows a growing divergence between prices and wages.
• The divergence of the two paths increased beyond the bridge.

How to use it: divergence between A and B (There is a clear divergence between their views.)

Similar words: difference, separation

Opposites: convergence

Common phrases: divergence of opinion, divergence between things, growing divergence

The process by which groups of living things become genetically different over time.

• Isolation encouraged genetic divergence.
• The researchers measured divergence between the two populations.
• Mutations increased their divergence over many generations.

Opposites: convergence

Common phrases: genetic divergence, evolutionary divergence, divergence between populations

A mathematical operation measuring how much a vector field spreads outward at a point.

• Calculate the divergence of this vector field.
• Its divergence is zero at every point.
• The divergence theorem relates outward flux to a volume integral.

Similar words: mul:div, mul:∇⋅

Common phrases: divergence of something, divergence theorem, calculate the divergence