convergent

adjective

con·​ver·​gent kən-ˈvər-jənt How to pronounce convergent (audio)
1
: tending to move toward one point or to approach each other : converging
convergent lines
a tropical cyclone characterized by convergent airflow
2
: exhibiting convergence in form, function, or development
… likenesses reflecting shared habits, such as the convergent aquatic adaptations of whales and fish.Harriet Ritvo
see also convergent evolution
3
a
of an improper integral : having a value that is a real number
b
: characterized by having the nth term or the sum of the first n terms approach a finite limit
a convergent sequence
a convergent series

Examples of convergent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In fact, Armstrong was one of the officers the city hired to help fill the employment gap over the convergent scandals. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2024 This will be a familiar sight to anyone who lived through the 2010s, when the convergent forces of indie sleaze, twee and prepster aesthetics encouraged women to purchase fire engine-red tights. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 15 Dec. 2023 These are problems not solved in one day, and require convergent research. Ryan Anderson, Arkansas Online, 2 Sep. 2023 The size of the convergent point (also known as the throat of the nozzle) can be altered to tune the amount of thrust the rocket produces; this process is critically important, as this design produces varying levels of performance at different altitudes. Matt Crisara, Popular Mechanics, 30 June 2023 And there is no question that changes of norms in Western countries since the beginning of the pandemic have given rise to a form of life plainly convergent with the Chinese model. Justin E. H. Smith, Harper's Magazine, 11 May 2022 The period leading up to April 1894, when Edison licensed the first Kinetoscope parlor, was a free-for-all of competing and convergent technologies. Nat Segnit, Harper's Magazine, 4 Mar. 2022 For the rest of us, one interesting and sometimes confusing aspect of evolution is the difference between convergent and divergent evolution. Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 1 June 2023 Even when sober, the cannabis users self-reported higher creativity and also performed better on a test measuring convergent thinking, an aspect of creativity for finding solutions to a problem, compared with the nonusers. Richard Sima, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'convergent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see converge

First Known Use

1674, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of convergent was in 1674

Dictionary Entries Near convergent

Cite this Entry

“Convergent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convergent. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

convergent

adjective
con·​ver·​gent kən-ˈvər-jənt How to pronounce convergent (audio)
: tending to converge

More from Merriam-Webster on convergent

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