divine
dih-VYN
/dɪˈvaɪn/
Of, from, or like God or a god; (verb) to discover by intuition or guesswork.
As an adjective, it means 'godly'. As a verb, it means to 'read the signs' to find an answer.
The story behind the word. Related to 'deity', 'divine' comes from the Latin 'divus', meaning 'belonging to a god'. The verb sense—to divine—comes from the idea that only a god (or someone inspired by one) could see the hidden truth or the future.
Word relationships
- heavenly: Heavenly is more descriptive of beauty or origin; divine is more about the nature of the being.
- surmise: To surmise is to guess based on evidence; to divine implies a more intuitive or supernatural insight.
- earthly: Relating to the world rather than the heavens.
- mundane: Lacking interest or excitement; dull and worldly.
Commonly confused with
- diviner: A diviner is someone who practices divination (like finding water with a rod).
Word family
- divinity (noun): The state or quality of being divine.
- divination (noun): The practice of seeking knowledge of the future.
Collocations
- divine intervention
- divine right
- divine inspiration
- divine the truth
Idioms & expressions
- to err is human, to forgive divine
Example sentences
- "The light over the mountains had a divine quality that left the hikers in silent awe." Describing a beautiful sunset.
- "The detective tried to divine the killer's motives from the scattered clues." Using the verb form in a mystery.
Memory hook
A 'Divine' being is 'Fine' and 'D-lightful'. Of the gods.
When not to use
In very casual slang, 'divine' can mean 'excellent' (e.g., 'this cake is divine'), but avoid this in formal writing.
Fun facts
- The 'Divine Right of Kings' was the belief that monarchs were chosen by God and were not subject to earthly authority.
- Dowsing for water is often called 'water divining'.
Explore more words
destiny, providential, prophecy, predestined, celestial, omnipotent
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