deflection
Americannoun
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the act or state of deflecting or the state of being deflected.
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amount of deviation.
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the deviation of the indicator of an instrument from the position taken as zero.
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Optics. deviation.
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Military. the angle formed by the line of sight to the target and the line of sight to the point at which a gun is aimed so as to strike the target.
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Electronics. (in a cathode-ray tube) the bending by a magnetic field of the beam of electrons leaving the electron gun.
noun
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the act of deflecting or the state of being deflected
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the amount of deviation
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the change in direction of a light beam as it crosses a boundary between two media with different refractive indexes
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a deviation of the indicator of a measuring instrument from its zero position
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the movement of a structure or structural member when subjected to a load
Usage
What does deflection mean? Deflection is the act of deflecting—redirecting something or causing it to move in a direction that’s different from the course it had been on. It can also refer to an instance of deflecting, as in Despite a deflection by the goalie, the ball still rolled into the goal. The verb deflect can also be used in a passive way meaning for something to have its course changed, and deflection can also refer to an instance of this. Deflection can also be used in a figurative way referring to the act or an instance of doing something to avoid questioning or scrutiny, as in When asked about the scandal, the senator offered only deflection, giving a vague answer and changing the subject. Deflection can also be used in more specific ways in scientific and technical contexts. Example: The meteor is headed straight for Earth—our only chance is to cause a deflection using the space laser!
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deflection
1595–1605; < Late Latin dēflexiōn- (stem of dēflexiō ), equivalent to Latin dēflex ( us ) (past participle of dēflectere; see deflect) + -iōn- -ion
Vocabulary lists containing deflection
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In both cases, the ball took a deflection off the body before hitting the arm, and fans have been conditioned into thinking this means there cannot be a penalty.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
Even high-profile cases involving figures like Sean Combs reflect the same cultural reflex: disbelief, deflection, delay.
From Slate • Apr. 25, 2026
They lost 21 of them but Tuesday’s was the most painful, with Roy scoring on a deflection in the crease.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
Not to be outdone, Mayor Brandon Johnson gave a master class in deflection when asked if he would apologize to Gorman’s parents for her death.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
So the amount that I veered was equal to the deflection caused by the Coriolis force.
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
