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

Once a slur that implied homosexuality was shamefully deviant, “queer” was “reclaimed” in the 1980s by gay activists as a synonym for “gay.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

"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 • Mar. 11, 2025

Tolerance for deviant behavior, under this argument, will inevitably lead to more harmful vices, and even crimes.

From Salon • Feb. 3, 2024

That gave people an excuse to start pulling the masks down and indulging in the deviant behaviors often celebrated by drill rappers.

From Washington Times • Oct. 10, 2023

But the child who, during its early years, lives in an environment where it feels secure, loved, and accepted is not likely to become a deviant.

From Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents by Mazengarb, O. C. (Oswald Chettle)