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. Compare variation ( def 8 ).
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

/ dē′vē-ā′shən /

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

Other Words From

• de·vi·a·to·ry [dee, -vee-, uh, -tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], devi·ative adjective
• nonde·vi·ation 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

I plugged into my calculator the mean, the standard deviation and the number of plants in each group.

From 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.

From Washington Post

Then I put my mean, standard deviation and number of samples into this online calculator.

From Science News For Students

The previous version had referred to “deviations from its maximum level.”

From Fortune

We often have this notion that male bodies are the default and women’s bodies are a deviation from that default.

From Quanta Magazine

If you are pro-life in Missouri it means being so without deviation, Molendorp says.

From The Daily Beast

To be in the adult industry some level of sexual deviation has to occur.

From The Daily Beast

And if you feel that way then you will look at every deviation as betrayal of fate, calling, etc.

From The Daily Beast

“The people of Egypt are against this deviation being carried out by the leaders of the army,” he added.

From The Daily Beast

Palestinian Muslims, for their part, are extremely wary of any deviation from the status quo.

From The Daily Beast

Thus the coming of man indicated, in two directions, an extraordinary deviation from the ordinary course of animal development.

From Project Gutenberg

Occasionally (as at Birdoswald) there was a deviation, and the older work survived.

From Project Gutenberg

The sharp ridge in the center provides for a deviation of the water jet as it flows on the bucket.

From Project Gutenberg

It would be impolitic to jeopardize his whole ambition by any deviation from the letter of the Erfurt agreement.

From Project Gutenberg

This deviation of art from its true and high vocation took place everywhere, and even in connection with Christianity.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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