Vocabulary in Divergent

One of the five social groups in this society, each built around a single virtue; a person's faction determines where they live, work, and belong for life.

The faction that values selflessness above all else, requiring members to suppress personal desires and serve others constantly.

Belonging to no faction — the lowest social class, made up of people who failed initiation or left their faction and now live in poverty doing menial work.

A simulation-based exam given to sixteen-year-olds that is supposed to reveal which faction best suits their personality, though the result is not binding.

A chemical injected to induce a controlled hallucination or simulation; different serums are used for aptitude tests, fear landscapes, and mind-control.

A drug-induced virtual reality that feels completely real to the person inside it, used both for testing and for controlling people's behavior.

The annual public ritual at which sixteen-year-olds cut their palms and let blood fall into a bowl representing their chosen faction, permanently declaring their allegiance.

A rare person whose mind cannot be confined to a single faction's way of thinking and who is therefore resistant to serums and simulations — considered dangerous by those in power.

The multi-stage training process new faction members must complete; those who fail are cut from the faction and become factionless.

A new initiate who was born in a different faction and chose to switch, as opposed to someone born into the faction they joined.

A deep gorge or gap; in this text, a specific ravine with rushing water below that runs through the Dauntless compound and serves as a site of danger and death.

The ordered list that places initiates from best to worst performer after each stage of training; those ranked at the bottom face expulsion from the faction.

A personalized simulation that forces a person to face each of their deepest fears in sequence; used in Dauntless initiation to test courage and mental control.

The faction that prizes bravery and fearlessness, responsible for guarding the city's borders; known for physical danger, tattoos, and reckless behavior.

The faction that values intelligence and knowledge above all else; in this story they are the political antagonists seeking to overthrow Abnegation's leadership.

A public written declaration of beliefs or intentions; here, the inflammatory reports Erudite publishes to turn public opinion against Abnegation's leaders.

The faction that values absolute honesty and straightforwardness, believing that lies are the root of all conflict.

The faction that values peace and friendship, living and working on farms outside the city and avoiding all conflict.

A cable stretched between two high points that a person rides down at high speed; used by Dauntless members as a thrilling mode of travel across the city.

Calm and untroubled in appearance or manner; used to describe the composed, emotionless expression Abnegation members are trained to maintain.

To force or drive someone to do something against their will; in this text often used in the context of serums or social pressure overriding personal choice.

Loyalty and commitment to a group or cause; in this society, allegiance to one's faction is expected to override family ties and personal identity.

An initiate who was raised in Dauntless from birth, as opposed to a transfer; they compete separately in early rankings and are seen as having an inherent advantage.

A slang term Dauntless members use to mock people from Abnegation, referring to their rigid, plain, self-denying way of life.

The condition of being Divergent — having a mind that resists faction-based categorization and cannot be fully controlled by serums or simulations.