definitions

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.
  1. Also called deflection. the bending of rays of light away from a straight line.
  2. angle of deviation.
departure or divergence from an established dogma or ideology, especially a Communist one.

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RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

devi, deviability, deviance, deviant, deviate, deviation, deviationism, deviatory, devic's disease, device, devil

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

Examples from the Web for deviation

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

Word Origin and History for deviation

deviation

n.

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

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine 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.

Science 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.