deviation

[ dee-vee-ey-shuhn ]

/ ˌdi viˈeɪ ʃən /

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See synonyms for: deviation / deviations 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.

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His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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

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, noun

Words nearby deviation

devest, Devi, deviance, deviant, deviate, deviation, deviationism, device, devil, devil and deep blue sea, devil dog

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use deviation in a sentence

I plugged into my calculator the mean, the standard deviation and the number of plants in each group.
How to grow your own science experiment|Bethany Brookshire|December 9, 2020|Science News For Students
In the set of graphs tracking the pandemic above, you may have noticed similar blips in recent days, deviations probably due to data gaps because of the Thanksgiving holiday.
The pandemic’s death toll is a tsunami anyone could see coming — if they looked|Philip Bump|December 3, 2020|Washington Post
Then I put my mean, standard deviation and number of samples into this online calculator.
Build ice towers with bottled water and ice|Bethany Brookshire|September 16, 2020|Science News For Students
The previous version had referred to “deviations from its maximum level.”
Low interest rates may be here to stay, following Fed Chief Powell’s new approach on inflation|Lee Clifford|August 27, 2020|Fortune

We often have this notion that male bodies are the default and women’s bodies are a deviation from that default.
Males Are the Taller Sex. Estrogen, Not Fights for Mates, May Be Why.|Christie Wilcox|June 8, 2020|Quanta Magazine
If you are pro-life in Missouri it means being so without deviation, Molendorp says.
Abortion in Missouri Is the Wait of a Lifetime|Justin Glawe|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To be in the adult industry some level of sexual deviation has to occur.
Porn Stars Are People Too, Dammit: Lisa Ann’s Notre Dame Date and the Trolling of David Gregory|Aurora Snow|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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
Thus the coming of man indicated, in two directions, an extraordinary deviation from the ordinary course of animal development.
Man And His Ancestor|Charles Morris
Occasionally (as at Birdoswald) there was a deviation, and the older work survived.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
The sharp ridge in the center provides for a deviation of the water jet as it flows on the bucket.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
It would be impolitic to jeopardize his whole ambition by any deviation from the letter of the Erfurt agreement.
The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte|William Milligan Sloane
This deviation of art from its true and high vocation took place everywhere, and even in connection with Christianity.
Tolstoy on Shakespeare|Leo Tolstoy

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

Scientific definitions for deviation

deviation

[ dē′vē-ā′shən ]

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

deviation

Origin of deviation

OTHER WORDS FROM deviation

Words nearby deviation

Words related to deviation

How to use deviation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for deviation

Scientific definitions for deviation