deviation

[dee-vee-ey-shuh n]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR deviation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of deviating.

departure from a standard or norm.

Statistics. the difference between one of a set of values and some fixed value, usually the mean of the set.

Navigation. the error of a magnetic compass, as that of a ship, on a given heading as a result of local magnetism.Compare variation(def 8).

Optics.

Also called deflection.the bending of rays of light away from a straight line.
angle of deviation.

departure or divergence from an established dogma or ideology, especially a Communist one.

Origin of deviation

1375–1425; late Middle English (< Middle French) < Medieval Latin dēviātiōn- (stem of dēviātiō), equivalent to Late Latin dēviāt(us) (see deviate) + -iōn- -ion

Related formsde·vi·a·to·ry

[dee-vee-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] /ˈdi vi əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, de·vi·a·tive, adjectivenon·de·vi·a·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for deviation

aberration, fluctuation, divergence, alteration, variation, detour, diversion, disparity, discrepancy, breach, modification, variance, anomaly, irregularity, inconsistency, fork, digression, shift, transgression, crotch

Examples from the Web for deviation

Contemporary Examples of deviation

And if you feel that way then you will look at every deviation as betrayal of fate, calling, etc.
Sunday Q&A: Josef Joffe on the Myth of American Decline
Michael Moynihan
November 17, 2013
“The people of Egypt are against this deviation being carried out by the leaders of the army,” he added.
In Deeply Polarized Egypt, Revolution's Social Justice Slogans are Seldom Heard
Jesse Rosenfeld
October 10, 2013
Palestinian Muslims, for their part, are extremely wary of any deviation from the status quo.
Why Jews Should Be Allowed to Pray On the Temple Mount
Zack Parker
June 25, 2013
Any deviation from the status quo risks shifting the spotlight onto the moderator, notes Louden.
Teenage Girls on Quest for Woman Moderator of Presidential Debates
Michelle Cottle
August 2, 2012
The deviation is that DiMaggio was the one who did it when he did it.
Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks: The Science Behind Winning
Clark Merrefield
February 18, 2012

Historical Examples of deviation

The view from the summit, made up for the deviation from my route.
Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia
Thomas Mitchell
We cannot help remarking the danger of the least deviation from the path of rectitude.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. I
Francis Augustus Cox
In all your dealings with her, can you tax yourself with no deviation from wisdom?
Is He Popenjoy?
Anthony Trollope
Confound it, I can make allowance, sir, if you'll tell me your deviation!
Blow The Man Down
Holman Day
The compass corrected for Variation and Deviation will show your course.
Lectures in Navigation
Ernest Gallaudet Draper

British Dictionary definitions for deviation

deviation

noun

an act or result of deviating

statistics the difference between an observed value in a series of such values and their arithmetic mean

the error of a compass due to local magnetic disturbances

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for deviation

1640s, noun of action from deviate (v.). Statistical sense is from 1858. Related: Deviational.

deviation in Medicine