Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Relating to or coming from a god or deity: Describes something that is connected to, characteristic of, or proceeding from a divine being.
   • Excellent or delightful in a supremely good way: Describes something so wonderful it seems to be of supernatural origin or perfection.
   • Devoted to religious worship or service: Pertaining to the service or adoration of a deity.

2. Noun:

   • A theologian or member of the clergy: A person who is learned in theology or is a religious official.

3. Verb:

   • To discover or guess something by intuition or insight: To perceive or understand something through seemingly supernatural insight or keen perception.
   • To search for underground water or minerals using a divining rod: To practice dowsing.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:

  • They sought divine guidance before making the decision.
  • The chocolate cake tasted absolutely divine.
  • The choir performed the divine liturgy.

• Noun:

  • The divine gave a sermon on compassion.

• Verb:

  • She seemed to divine his true intentions.
  • The old farmer could divine water with a forked stick.

Advanced Usage

• "the divine" (noun, often capitalized): Used to refer to God or a supreme being collectively.

  • They prayed to the Divine for mercy.

• "divine right": The doctrine that a monarch's right to rule comes directly from God, not from the people.

  • Kings once ruled by divine right.

Variants and Related Words

• Divinely (adverb): In a divine manner; by or from God.
  • She sang divinely.
• Divination (noun): The practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means.
  • He practiced divination using tarot cards.
• Diviner (noun): A person who divines, especially one who uses a divining rod.
  • The diviner located a new well for the village.

Synonyms

• Adjective (godly): Heavenly, sacred, holy, celestial.
• Adjective (excellent): Exquisite, superb, wonderful, sublime.
• Verb (intuit): Discern, perceive, guess, surmise.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

(Note: "Divine" does not commonly form phrasal verbs. Its verbal use is typically transitive.) - To divine something from something: To intuit or deduce something from clues or evidence. - I could divine from her expression that she was unhappy.

Related Idioms

• Divine intervention: Direct involvement by God or a deity in human affairs, often to cause a miraculous event.
  • They survived the crash, which they called divine intervention.
• A divine comedy: An allusion to Dante's work, sometimes used to describe a situation that is both profoundly serious and ironically humorous in a cosmic or fateful way.
  • The series of misunderstandings was like a divine comedy.

Adjective

1. being of such surpassing excellence as to suggest inspiration by the gods
   • her pies were simply divine
   • the divine Shakespeare
   • an elysian meal
   • an inspired performance
2. appropriate to or befitting a god
   • the divine strength of Achilles
   • a man of godlike sagacity
   • man must play God for he has acquired certain godlike powers-R.H.Roveref
3. devoted to or in the service or worship of a deity
   • divine worship
   • divine liturgy
4. being or having the nature of a god; 'tis God-like to create"-J.G.Saxe
   • the custom of killing the divine king upon any serious failure of his...powers-J.G.Frazier
   • the divine will
   • the divine capacity for love
   • 'Tis wise to learn
5. resulting from divine providence
   • providential care
   • a providential visitation
6. emanating from God
   • divine judgment
   • divine guidance
   • everything is black or white...satanic or godly-Saturday Review

Noun

1. a clergyman or other person in religious orders
2. terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

Verb

1. search by divining, as if with a rod
   • He claimed he could divine underground water
2. perceive intuitively or through some inexplicable perceptive powers