deviant

American  

[dee-vee-uhnt] / ˈdi vi ənt /

adjective

1. deviating or departing from the norm; characterized by deviation.

   deviant social behavior.

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noun

1. a person or thing that deviates or departs markedly from the accepted norm.

deviant British  

/ ˈdiːvɪənt /

adjective

1. deviating, as from what is considered acceptable behaviour

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noun

1. a person whose behaviour, esp sexual behaviour, deviates from what is considered to be acceptable

Other Word Forms

• nondeviant adjective

Etymology

Origin of deviant

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin dēviant-, stem of dēviāns “straying,” present participle of dēviāre “to stray, turn from the road”; deviate

Example Sentences

“I made a vow to God,” he says, narrating, “no matter the disapproval or dissent, deviant, ritual murders would not go unpublished on my watch.”

From Los Angeles Times

“The CIA sends us out into the world to behave in entirely unhealthy, deviant, dangerous ways.”

From Los Angeles Times

"The only way I could describe it is it was just deviant," she tells us - using that word without any knowledge of the GSK research which had established a link with such behaviour.

From BBC

"The hatred and deviant fascination the defendants have shown in relation to the cruelty and abuse towards monkeys is incomprehensible," he said.

From BBC

Everything about his deviant behavior feels like old news.

From Los Angeles Times