deviation

[ dee-vee-ey-shuh n ]

/ ˌdi viˈeɪ ʃən /

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.

Nearby words

devest, devi, deviance, deviant, deviate, deviation, deviationism, devic's disease, device, devil, devil and deep blue sea

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 forms

de·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

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
“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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
When this deviation took place does not appear; but it was obviously one of long standing.
Summer Days in Shakespeare Land|Charles G. Harper
And let it be remarked that Great Britain is not responsible for this deviation in a hitherto inveterate policy.
The Unveiling of Lhasa|Edmund Candler
Thus nature gives the hint, man acts upon it, and by the law of inheritance exaggerates the deviation.
Fragments of science, V. 1-2|John Tyndall
It would be interesting to discover how far this parental selfishness was a deviation from true parental pride.
A Plea for the Criminal|James Leslie Allan Kayll
Deviation of the Compass, the deflection of a ship's compass needle from the magnetic meridian, caused by adjacent iron.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various

British Dictionary definitions for deviation

deviation

/ (ˌdiːvɪˈeɪʃən) /

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