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deviation
[ dee-vee-ey-shuhn ]
/ ˌdi viˈeɪ ʃən /
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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.
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Origin of deviation
OTHER WORDS FROM deviation
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, nounWords nearby deviation
devest, Devi, deviance, deviant, deviate, deviation, deviationism, device, Devic's disease, devil, devil and deep blue sea
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use deviation in a sentence
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
Medical definitions for deviation
deviation
[ dē′vē-ā′shən ]
n.
A turning away or aside from a normal course.
An abnormality.
Deviant behavior or attitudes.
The difference, especially the absolute difference, between one number in a set and the mean of the set.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for deviation
deviation
[ dē′vē-ā′shən ]
The difference between one number in a set and the mean of the set.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.