When things move in different directions from a common starting point, they diverge. Divergent describes this quality of branching apart or becoming increasingly different.

Picture a river that splits into two separate streams flowing in opposite directions. Those streams are taking divergent paths. In a similar way, two friends might hold divergent opinions about which movie to see: one wants action, the other wants comedy, and their preferences are pulling in different directions.

Scientists talk about divergent evolution when species that once shared a common ancestor develop in increasingly different ways over time. A textbook might present divergent theories about what caused the dinosaurs to go extinct. During a class discussion, divergent viewpoints make the conversation more interesting because people are thinking about the topic from multiple angles.