deviant
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of deviant
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin dēviant-, stem of dēviāns “straying,” present participle of dēviāre “to stray, turn from the road”; see deviate
Explanation
A deviant is someone whose behavior falls far outside of society's norms; as an adjective, deviant can describe the behavior itself. For example, a fifty-year-old punk rocker has a deviant appearance, compared to his peers. That aging punk deviates, or departs from the norm, of people his age. Both deviant and deviate come from the Latin word deviare, meaning "to turn out of the way." Deviants experience this turning away from society, either by choice, or in the case of someone who has harmed another, perhaps by sexual abuse, by being cast out by people who want nothing to do with them.
Vocabulary lists containing deviant
Latin Love, Vol I: via
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Field Guide to the North American Teenager
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Little Brother
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Thompson was part of the wave of artists in the 1950s who explored the darker, deviant impulses of American life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026
The cases of what the GSK report from 2003 described as "deviant behaviour" involved two men who were prescribed Ropinirole for Parkinson's disease.
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2025
Tolerance for deviant behavior, under this argument, will inevitably lead to more harmful vices, and even crimes.
From Salon ● Feb. 3, 2024
That gave people an excuse to start pulling the masks down and indulging in the deviant behaviors often celebrated by drill rappers.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 10, 2023
It became known as Danger V. Nobody ever bothered to explain why I never encountered the phenomenon of Danger V. It became official record, and my experience was the deviant.
From What Need of Man? by Calin, Harold
The aberrant child vampire highlights inequality, a deviant even among deviants.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2022
He had grown up in India but was studying sociology in London and had been awarded a grant to research political "deviants".
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2022
The only reason I could think of is that these people are deviants who get their sick kicks from being stuck in traffic and knowing that others are stuck in traffic, too.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 4, 2019
“I feel braver and more carefree and less afraid to take up space,” Lee said of the days since the #MeToo movement exposed some of entertainment’s most powerful men as sexual deviants and bullies.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 19, 2018
I can understand why things are so strict here, because it is the best school around for the rich deviants of tomorrow.
From "Winger" by Andrew Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
