Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Tending to meet or actually meeting in a point; approaching each other, as two lines; figuratively, tending to a common result, conclusion, etc.: as, convergent lines; convergent theories.
  • noun A fraction expressing the approximate value of a continued fraction, when only some of the first incomplete quotients are used.
  • In biology, illustrative of or duo to convergence; similar in structure but different in origin (polyphyletic).

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective tending to one point of focus; tending to approach each other; converging.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective That converges or focuses
  • adjective analysis A sequence in a metric space with metric d is convergent to a point , denoted as , if for every there is a natural number N such that for every  : .
  • noun mathematics the rational number obtained when a continued fraction has been terminated after a finite number of terms

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective tending to come together from different directions

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Students often have to engage in what we call convergent retrieval, the kind of memory called upon when there is only one possible correct answer, with no latitude whatsoever.

    A Mind at a Time M.D. Mel Levine 2002

  • Students often have to engage in what we call convergent retrieval, the kind of memory called upon when there is only one possible correct answer, with no latitude whatsoever.

    A Mind at a Time M.D. Mel Levine 2002

  • Even after the many kinks in "convergent" gadgets are ironed out and devices become more multi-functional, each will have its own strengths and shape.

    USATODAY.com - Manage the mobile gadgets in an always-on society 2002

  • In his 2003 book Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe, Conway Morris assembled a collection of examples of what is called convergent evolution.

    Victor Stenger: Contingency or Convergence? Victor Stenger 2011

  • In his 2003 book Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe, Conway Morris assembled a collection of examples of what is called convergent evolution.

    Victor Stenger: Contingency or Convergence? Victor Stenger 2011

  • In his 2003 book Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe, Conway Morris assembled a collection of examples of what is called convergent evolution.

    Victor Stenger: Contingency or Convergence? Victor Stenger 2011

  • In his 2003 book Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe, Conway Morris assembled a collection of examples of what is called convergent evolution.

    Victor Stenger: Contingency or Convergence? Victor Stenger 2011

  • Sadly for some though not me, the greatest recent example of an ensemble movie that does do not do this is, and still values the idea of convergent narrative strands is still Love Actually.

    Simon enjoyed VALENTINE’S DAY, except the two hours he spent watching the movie | Obsessed With Film 2010

  • Almost in the next moment, though, I was reminded of something in biology called convergent evolution, which is the process whereby organisms not related to each other, separated by continents, even, independently evolve similar traits.

    Material World: New Inventions Tracy Staedter 2008

  • Almost in the next moment, though, I was reminded of something in biology called convergent evolution, which is the process whereby organisms not related to each other, separated by continents, even, independently evolve similar traits.

    Material World: Convergent Innovation Tracy Staedter 2008

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