deviation

[dee-vee-ey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of deviating.

2. departure from a standard or norm.

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

4. Navigation.,  the error of a magnetic compass, as that of a ship, on a given heading as a result of local magnetism.

5. Optics.

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

   2. angle of deviation.

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

deviation

/ ˌdiːvɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. an act or result of deviating

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

3. the error of a compass due to local magnetic disturbances

deviation

1. The difference between one number in a set and the mean of the set.

Other Word Forms

• deviatory adjective
• deviative adjective
• nondeviation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of deviation¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin dēviātiōn-, stem of dēviātiō; equivalent to deviate + -ion

Example Sentences

Despite this, the combination of data from all three radio telescopes revealed a deviation exceeding five sigma, a statistically very strong signal considered in science as evidence for a significant result.

Read more on Science Daily

There shall be no deviation from his word.

Read more on Salon

Such maps show deviations from the average field strength over the surface of the Earth.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was heading south through the Strait of Hormuz when it was approached by three small boats, maritime security company Ambrey said, adding it had made a "sudden course deviation".

Read more on Barron's

The tanker "was observed making a sudden course deviation... this incident is likely highly targeted", the maritime security company said in alert.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• aberration 
• alteration 
• anomaly 
• breach 
• detour 
• discrepancy 
• disparity 
• divergence 
• diversion 
• fluctuation 
• inconsistency 
• irregularity 
• modification 
• variance 
• variation