divine

1 of 3

adjective

di·​vine də-ˈvīn How to pronounce divine (audio)
diviner; divinest
1
religion
a
: of, relating to, or proceeding directly from God (see god entry 1 sense 1) or a god (see god entry 1 sense 2)
divine inspiration
divine love
praying for divine intervention
b
: being a deity
the divine Savior
a divine ruler
c
: directed to a deity
divine worship
2
a
: supremely good : superb
The meal was just divine.
divinely adverb

divine

2 of 3

noun

1
religion : clergyman
a Puritan divine
2
religion : theologian

divine

3 of 3

verb

divined; divining

transitive verb

1
: to discover by intuition or insight : infer
divine the truth
2
: to discover or locate (something, such as underground water or minerals) usually by means of a divining rod

intransitive verb

1
: to seek to predict future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers : to practice divination : prophesy
2
: to perceive intuitively
Choose the Right Synonym for divine

foresee, foreknow, divine, anticipate mean to know beforehand.

foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience.

economists should have foreseen the recession

foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation.

if only we could foreknow our own destinies

divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment.

was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens.

the waiter anticipated our every need

Examples of divine in a Sentence

Adjective They prayed for divine intervention. how about a piece of the most divine apple pie I've ever tasted! Noun the great influence exerted by the Puritan divines in the Massachusetts Bay Colony Verb divine the answer to a question it was easy to divine his intention of asking his girlfriend to marry him
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Barring divine intervention or the West Coast falling into the sea, President Biden will handily win California in the November election. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 The dragon balls, when collected, can summon Shen Long, a divine dragon that can grant any wish. Mai Nishiyama, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 And Genesis’ part in that, in her view, is a demonstration of how human freedom can coexist with divine foreknowledge, with a covenanted plan. Francis Spufford, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 When paired with a little bit of divine timing and a lot of hard work, his pure talent set him on an early path to success in the field. Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024 This mutual choosing produces the warrior god of the Book of Exodus, the divine general who leads his people out of Egypt and who will tell them how to wage war (exterminating the Canaanites, for instance). James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Luckily, Nolan gives us a break from the complicated science stuff in the form of a 15-minute Mediterranean interlude, in which Tenet gets to dress up in Talented Mr. Ripley drag — boating trips, cashmere polos, expensive gowns, how divine. Nate Jones, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2024 There is something divine about the way that Jaafar is channeling his late uncle. Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024 Elegant, luxurious, and meticulously detailed with silver metal Riva brand inlays strategically throughout, the Diva is divine. Kathleen Turner, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
With Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday falling on the same day this year, Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix Bishop John Dolan is imploring the faithful to focus on their relationship with the divine. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 14 Feb. 2024 The 38-year-old Lakewood Presbyterian is all about finding non-traditional ways to connect to the divine. Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2024 Those words come from William Paley, an English divine who lived from 1743 to 1805. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 17 Jan. 2024 One needn’t be a true believer to be fascinated by the holy relics of the Catholic Church, objects credited with the ability to facilitate miracles and even provide access to the divine. John Anderson, WSJ, 31 Oct. 2023 My desktop collection of obsolescent chargers may not obviously connect me with the divine. Britt Peterson, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2023 According to pros and believers alike, angel numbers carry messages from the divine. Ysolt Usigan, Woman's Day, 5 Sep. 2023 After the rise of Christianity, small white churches began dotting the summits of Sifnos’s hills and mountains, symbolizing proximity to the divine. Nick Romeo, The New Republic, 23 Aug. 2023 Its meaning is simple: Irrespective of what Arjuna does, everything is in the hands of the divine. James Temperton, WIRED, 21 July 2023
Verb
In South America, the Inca saw solar eclipses as a sign of the sun god’s displeasure; leaders would try to divine the source of his wrath and appease him with an appropriate sacrifice. Dan Falk, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024 The financial markets are consumed with divining the timing of the Fed's first cut to its benchmark rate, which stands at a 23-year high of about 5.4%. CBS News, 6 Mar. 2024 Good luck divining if a college QB has the vision and smarts to read and react to the NFL game with speed and clarity. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Feb. 2024 If the health of the American shopper can be divined from retail chains’ financial results, Target just gave Wall Street its best prognosis in months. Bypaolo Confino, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2023 Joseph Smith, the LDS’s founder, prophet, and visionary, divined a temple city like Jerusalem as well as a religious state, to use a freighted term, so the Salt Lake Temple is a big deal. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 20 Jan. 2024 Journalists and media outlets from around the world descend on the town every four years to witness the proceedings, hoping to divine some insight that might foreshadow the statewide results that will come into focus less than 24 hours later. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2024 At one point, Joanne Pearce Martin, the L.A. Phil’s peerless resident pianist, divined a glittering, cadenza-like solo from a skeletal array of notes. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023 But determining whether the current course of action is rational requires knowing whether China is a selectively opportunist or an expansionist power, which, in turn, requires divining Beijing’s intentions. Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'divine.' 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

Adjective

Middle English divin, from Anglo-French, from Latin divinus, from divus god — more at deity

Noun

Middle English, from Medieval Latin divinus, from Latin, soothsayer, from divinus, adjective — see divine entry 1

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French deviner, from Latin divinare, from divinus, noun — see divine entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of divine was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near divine

Cite this Entry

“Divine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divine. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

divine

1 of 3 adjective
di·​vine də-ˈvīn How to pronounce divine (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or coming directly from God or a god
b
: being God or a god
the divine Savior
c
: directed to God or a god
divine worship
2
a
: extremely good : superb
b
: having godlike qualities
divinely adverb

divine

2 of 3 noun
: a member of the clergy

divine

3 of 3 verb
divined; divining
1
: to discover or understand something without reasoning
2
: to practice divination : prophesy
diviner noun

More from Merriam-Webster on divine

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