deviation

noun

de·​vi·​a·​tion ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shən 

: an act or instance of deviating: such as

a

navigation : deflection of the needle of a compass caused by local magnetic influences (as in a ship)

b

mathematics : the difference between a value in a frequency distribution and a fixed number (such as the mean)

c

: departure from an established ideology or party line

deviation from Communist orthodoxy

d

: noticeable or marked departure from accepted norms (see norm sense 2) of behavior

deviationism

ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shə-ˌni-zəm 

noun

deviationist

ˌdē-vē-ˈā-sh(ə-)nist 

noun or adjective

Synonyms

• deflection
• departure
• detour
• divagation
• divergence
• divergency
• diversion

Examples of deviation in a Sentence

There have been slight deviations in the satellite's orbit.

Having juice instead of coffee was a deviation from his usual routine.

The pattern's deviation from the norm is significant.

Recent Examples on the Web

There may be slight deviations from the podcast audio. —Amanda Luberto, The Arizona Republic, 11 Dec. 2024

In comparison, this year's deviation, while notable, is less extreme. —Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024

The only deviation was in 1993, when Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford were deemed the Sexiest Couple Alive – and there was no successor named in 1994. —Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 16 Nov. 2024

When applied to each state’s eight individual grades used in my scorecard, this geeky math shows California’s grades had the highest deviation. —Jonathan Lansner, Orange County Register, 14 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see deviate entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing deviation

• mean deviation
• mean square deviation
• standard deviation

Kids Definition

deviation

noun

de·​vi·​a·​tion ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shən 

: an act or instance of deviating: as

a

: the difference found by subtracting some fixed number (as the arithmetic mean of a series of statistical data) from any item of the series

b

: noticeable difference from accepted standards (as of behavior or morals)

Medical Definition

deviation

noun

de·​vi·​a·​tion ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shən 

: an act or instance of diverging from an established way or in a new direction: as

a

: evolutionary differentiation involving interpolation of new stages in the ancestral pattern of morphogenesis

b

: noticeable or marked departure from accepted norms of behavior