deviate

American  

[dee-vee-eyt, dee-vee-it] / ˈdi viˌeɪt, ˈdi vi ɪt /

verb (used without object)

deviates, present (3rd person singular) deviated, past participle, past deviating present participle

1. to turn aside, as from a route, way, course, etc.

   Synonyms:

   stray, wander, veer

2. to depart or swerve, as from a procedure, course of action, or acceptable norm.

3. to digress, as from a line of thought or reasoning.

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verb (used with object)

deviates, present (3rd person singular) deviated, past participle, past deviating present participle

1. to cause to swerve; turn aside.

adjective

1. characterized by deviation or departure from an accepted norm or standard, as of behavior.

noun

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

2. a person whose sexual behavior departs from the norm in a way that is considered socially or morally unacceptable.

3. Statistics. a variable equal to the difference between a variate and some fixed value, often the mean.

deviate British  

verb

1. (usually intr) to differ or diverge or cause to differ or diverge, as in belief or thought

2. (usually intr) to turn aside or cause to turn aside; diverge or cause to diverge

3. (intr) psychol to depart from an accepted standard or convention

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noun

1. another word for deviant

Synonym Usage

Deviate, digress, diverge, swerve imply turning or going aside from a path. To deviate is to turn or wander, often by slight degrees, from what is considered the most direct or desirable approach to a given physical, intellectual, or moral end: Fear caused him to deviate from the truth. To digress is primarily to wander from the main theme or topic in writing or speaking: Some authors digress to relate entertaining episodes. Two paths diverge when they proceed from a common point in such directions that the distance between them increases: The sides of an angle diverge from a common point. Their interests gradually diverged. To swerve is to make a sudden or sharp turn from a line or course: The car swerved to avoid striking a pedestrian.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• deviability
  noun
• undeviable
  adjective
• deviable
  adjective
• undeviating
  adjective
• deviatory
  adjective
• undeviatingly
  adverb
• deviator
  noun
• nondeviating
  adjective
• undeviated
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have deviated
  perfect
• has deviated
  perfect 3rd person singular
• has been deviating
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been deviating
  perfect progressive
• am deviating
  progressive 1st person singular
• deviates
  singular 3rd person
• are deviating
  progressive
• is deviating
  progressive 3rd person singular
• deviating
  participle

Past

• had deviated
  perfect
• deviated
  simple
• was deviating
  progressive singular
• had been deviating
  perfect progressive
• were deviating
  progressive plural
• deviated
  participle

Future

• will deviate
  simple
• will have deviated
  perfect
• will have been deviating
  perfect progressive
• will be deviating
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of deviate

First recorded in 1625–35; from Late Latin dēviātus “turned from the road,” past participle of dēviāre “to stray, turn from the road,” from Latin dē- de- + vi(a) “road, way” + āre, infinitive verb suffix

Explanation

If something turns off course or is diverted, it deviates from the expected or the norm. Deviating from explicit recipe directions is never a good idea, unless you want inedible food or a kitchen fire. The verb deviate can refer to divergence from a predicted path or road ("the airplane's route deviated from the flight plan"), but it can also refer to a divergence from normal behavior or expectations. When women demanded the right to vote, their behavior was considered shocking and deviated from the expectations of the time.

Example Sentences

I am unlikely to deviate from a system when I see things laid out in front of me.

From Slate • May 24, 2026

Active management allows He and his three co-managers to deviate from risk parity if the team favors a particular asset class.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

United are not unwilling to talk but are determined not to deviate from a pre-stated desire to keep their wage bill under control.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

ECB President Christine Lagarde in a speech last week said that should inflation deviate significantly from target, the response must be appropriately forceful or persistent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Like all good shooters, the pattern of Bull’s shooting did not deviate; in fact it was unconscious, buried in instinct, and rooted in long hours of boyhood practice.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• depart
• differ
• diverge
• vary
• veer