deviance

noun

de·​vi·​ance ˈdē-vē-ən(t)s How to pronounce deviance (audio)
: deviant quality, state, or behavior

Examples of deviance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Honesty-humility’s impact on physical health is limited, potentially because it is more strongly linked to behaviors with a moral dimension, such as avoiding deviance, rather than physical health habits like exercise or diet. Mark Travers, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024 For thousands of years, mental illness could only be explained by supernatural forces or moral deviance. Celia Ford, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 Out of the Card Catalog Closet Librarians gathered in 1970 to challenge Library of Congress classifications and catalog subject headings that aligned homosexuality with deviance. JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024 The singer’s life and music were shaped by the political upheaval around him, yet his image has often been softened into a digestible symbol of social deviance to college-age people. Lawrence Burney, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for deviance 

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deviance was in 1941

Dictionary Entries Near deviance

Cite this Entry

“Deviance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deviance. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

deviance

noun
de·​vi·​ance ˈdē-vē-ən(t)s How to pronounce deviance (audio)
: quality, state, or behavior that differs from what is normal or accepted

Medical Definition

deviance

noun
de·​vi·​ance ˈdē-vē-ən(t)s How to pronounce deviance (audio)
: deviant quality, state, or behavior

More from Merriam-Webster on deviance

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