What does "divine" mean?
One skilled in divinity; a theologian.
Divine
/dɪˈvaɪn/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One skilled in divinity; a theologian.
- Grammar: divine is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: cleric, abbe, ace, admirable.
- Useful contrasts: carnal, creaturely, earthlier.
- Usage evidence: To err is human, to forgive divine.
How to use "divine"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "divine" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "divine" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "divine" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "divine" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "divine" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cleric" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "divine", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One skilled in divinity; a theologian.
"Poets were the first divines."
- 2 a clergyman or other person in religious orders wordnet
- 3 A minister of the gospel; a priest; a clergyman.
"December 22, 1820, John Woodbridge, Sermon preached in Hadley in commemoration of the landing our fathers at Plymouth The first divines of New England […] were surpassed by none in extensive erudition."
- 4 God or a god, particularly in its aspect as a transcendental concept. capitalized, often
Verb
- 1 To foretell (something), especially by the use of divination. transitive
"a sagacity which divined the evil designs"
- 2 search by divining, as if with a rod wordnet
- 3 To guess or discover (something) through intuition or insight. transitive
"no secret can be told To any who divined it not before"
- 4 perceive intuitively or through some inexplicable perceptive powers wordnet
- 5 To search for (underground objects or water) using a divining rod. transitive
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To render divine; to deify.
"Living on earth like angel new divined."
Adjective
- 1 Of or pertaining to a god.
"a divine being"
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of divine. alt-of
"My mind was never in a holier frame, than while I gazed on that untroubled image of Divine rest."
- 3 Eternal, holy, or otherwise godlike.
"divine power"
- 4 Of superhuman or surpassing excellence.
"divine skill"
- 5 Beautiful, heavenly.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Foreboding; prescient. obsolete
"Yet oft his heart, divine of something ill, / Misgave him."
- 7 immortal; elect or saved after death obsolete
"Now Thomas Mowbray do I turne to thee, And marke my greeting well: for what I ſpeake, My body ſhall make good vpon this earth, Or my diuine ſoule anſwer it in heauen."
- 8 Relating to divinity or theology.
"church history and other divine learning"
Adjective
- 1 being of such surpassing excellence as to suggest inspiration by the gods wordnet
- 2 emanating from God wordnet
- 3 being or having the nature of a god wordnet
- 4 resulting from divine providence wordnet
- 5 appropriate to or befitting a god wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 devoted to or in the service or worship of a deity wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Antonyms
Example
"To err is human, to forgive divine."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "divine"?
Common synonyms include: cleric, abbe, ace, admirable, ancient deity, angelic.
How do you use "divine" in a sentence?
To err is human, to forgive divine.
How do you pronounce "divine"?
Pronounced /dɪˈvaɪn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Old French divin, from Latin dīvīnus (“of a god”), from divus (“god”). Displaced native Old English godcund.
Etymology 2
Replaced Middle English devine, devin from Middle French deviner, from Latin dīvīnō.