divagate

D2I1V4A1G2A1T1E1
US, UK/ˈdaɪvəˌɡeɪt/US/ˈdɪvəˌɡeɪt/

verb

To wander about.

Similar
digressstraywander
OriginLatin dīvagātus →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

verbdivagate (third-person singular simple present divagates, present participle divagating, simple past and past participle divagated)

present singular third person divagates · participle present divagating · participle past divagated · past divagated

  1. intransitiveTo wander about.
  2. intransitiveTo stray from a subject or theme.

    The fallen guillotine blade is replaced with a call to awareness that, as we have seen, divagates from Szpiner's "Ayez pitié des enfants."

    2010, Noah McLaughlin, French War Films and National Identity, page 51

Synonyms & antonyms

verblose clarity or turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument in writing, thinking, or speaking

Similar
digressstraywander
Broader
tell
Also see
digressstraywander

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latindis-“in different direction”
  2. Latindīvagātus
  3. Englishdivagate

First attested in 1599; borrowed from Latin dīvagātus, perfect active participle of dīvagor (“to wander here and there”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from Latin dis- (“in different direction”) + vagor (“to wander”). Cognate with French divaguer.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian отклонявам се, лутам се
  • отклонявам се (otklonjavam se)stray from a subject
  • лутам се (lutam se)stray from a subject
Cite this entry
APA

divagate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/divagate

MLA

“divagate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/divagate. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “divagate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/divagate.

Source: divagate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.