diverge slightly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "diverge slightly" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing differences or variations that are minor or not significant in nature. Example: "While the two theories are similar, they diverge slightly in their conclusions about the impact of climate change."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

This is where Jones and Schwankert diverge slightly in their interpretation of how the Chinese survivors were treated.

The Washington Post

During different passes through the same region, the readings from the other sensors may diverge slightly, but image data can confirm that the region has already been mapped.

MIT Technology Review

The genetic code, once thought to be identical in all forms of life, has been found to diverge slightly in certain organisms and in the mitochondria of some eukaryotes.

Britannica

The normal destruction of one wavelet by another, which serves to restrict the light energy to the region of the rectilinear ray paths, however, breaks down when the light beam strikes an opaque edge, for the edge then cuts off some of the interfering wavelets, allowing others to exist, which diverge slightly into the shadow area.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Nevertheless, the price spread borders found in our study could diverge slightly depending on the physical objective function prices used.

Agricultural and Food Economics

"One advantage of having them as separate apps is we do have the flexibility for the two products to diverge slightly," he said.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

At Iron Creek, the vegetation control treatment diverged slightly from untreated communities after recent manual cutting.

Forest Ecology and Management

General Powell, diverging slightly from his overall attitude toward reviewing sanctions, said the day before the verdict that American sanctions on Libya would stay in place no matter what the decision.

The New York Times

Long Island schools, particularly in Suffolk County, diverged slightly from the overall trend, with more districts exceeding the cap and more budgets being defeated than in any other region of the state.

The New York Times

In modern tuning, the note B-sharp is the same as the note C-natural, but here they diverged slightly, and when the soprano sang them in close proximity the air in the room seemed to ripple, as in a sci-fi movie.

The New Yorker

In this way, the mentor-mentee relationship diverges slightly from friendship.

International Journal of STEM Education

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "diverge slightly" to indicate a minor difference or variation between two or more things. Ensure the context clearly establishes what is diverging.

Common error

Avoid using "diverge slightly" when the differences are actually substantial. This phrase is appropriate only for minor variations; using it otherwise can mislead the reader.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "diverge slightly" functions as a verb phrase, modifying a verb to indicate the manner in which something diverges. As Ludwig AI reports, the phrase follows standard grammatical rules and is usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

55%

News & Media

32%

Encyclopedias

7%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "diverge slightly" is a grammatically sound and usable expression indicating a minor difference or deviation. As Ludwig AI notes, it is suitable for various contexts, including scientific, news, and encyclopedic writing. While not exceptionally common, it serves to temper statements, highlighting that differences exist but are not substantial. When using "diverge slightly", ensure the context clearly establishes what is diverging and that the differences are indeed minor to avoid misleading the reader. Alternatives include "differ marginally" or "vary a bit", depending on the desired tone and emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

differ marginally

Replaces "diverge" with "differ" and "slightly" with "marginally", emphasizing a small difference.

vary a bit

Uses "vary" instead of "diverge" and "a bit" for "slightly", offering a more informal tone.

deviate marginally

Substitutes "diverge" with "deviate", suggesting a departure from a standard or norm, while keeping the intensity of the difference the same.

partially differ

Replaces "diverge slightly" with "partially differ", focusing on the aspect of partial difference.

show minor variations

Emphasizes that there are variations, replacing "diverge" with "show variations" and "slightly" with "minor".

exhibit small differences

Uses "exhibit small differences" instead of "diverge slightly", highlighting the presence of small differences.

contrast faintly

Suggests a subtle opposition using "contrast" instead of "diverge" and "faintly" instead of "slightly".

separate subtly

Emphasizes the separation aspect using "separate" and maintains a low degree of change using "subtly".

branch off insignificantly

Replaces "diverge" with "branch off", indicating a point of departure, and diminishes the importance of this branching using "insignificantly".

disagree to a small extent

Focuses on disagreement, but qualifies it as being to a "small extent", mirroring the slight divergence.

FAQs

How to use "diverge slightly" in a sentence?

You can use "diverge slightly" to indicate a small difference between two things. For example, "While the two reports are similar, they "diverge slightly" on the projected economic growth."

What can I say instead of "diverge slightly"?

You can use alternatives like "differ marginally", "vary a bit", or "deviate marginally" depending on the context.

Is it more appropriate to use "differ slightly" or "diverge slightly"?

"Differ slightly" and ""diverge slightly"" are largely interchangeable, but "diverge" can imply a more directional or progressive separation over time, whereas "differ" simply indicates a distinction.

What's the difference between "diverge slightly" and "diverge significantly"?

"Diverge slightly" indicates a minor difference, while "diverge significantly" implies a major, important difference. The choice depends on the extent of the deviation you wish to convey.