deviate

[ verb dee-vee-eyt; adjective noun dee-vee-it ]

verb (used without object)

, de·vi·at·ed, de·vi·at·ing.

1. to turn aside, as from a route, way, course, etc.

   Synonyms: stray, wander, veer

2. to depart or swerve, as from a procedure, course of action, or acceptable norm.
3. to digress, as from a line of thought or reasoning.

verb (used with object)

, de·vi·at·ed, de·vi·at·ing.

1. to cause to swerve; turn aside.

adjective

1. characterized by deviation or departure from an accepted norm or standard, as of behavior.

noun

1. a person or thing that departs from the accepted norm or standard.
2. a person whose sexual behavior departs from the norm in a way that is considered socially or morally unacceptable.
3. Statistics. a variable equal to the difference between a variate and some fixed value, often the mean.

deviate

verb

1. usually intr to differ or diverge or cause to differ or diverge, as in belief or thought
2. usually intr to turn aside or cause to turn aside; diverge or cause to diverge
3. intr psychol to depart from an accepted standard or convention

noun

1. See deviant
   another word for deviant

Derived Forms

• ˈdeviatory, adjective
• ˈdeviˌator, noun

Other Words From

• devi·a·ble adjective
• de·vi·a·bil·i·ty [dee-vee-, uh, -, bil, -i-tee], noun
• devi·ator noun
• non·devi·ating adjective
• un·devi·a·ble adjective
• un·devi·ated adjective
• un·devi·ating adjective
• un·devi·ating·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of deviate¹

First recorded in 1625–35; from Late Latin dēviātus “turned from the road,” past participle of dēviāre “to stray, turn from the road,” from Latin dē- de- + vi(a) “road, way” + āre, infinitive verb suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of deviate¹

C17: from Late Latin dēviāre to turn aside from the direct road, from de- + via road

Synonym Study

Deviate, digress, diverge, swerve imply turning or going aside from a path. To deviate is to turn or wander, often by slight degrees, from what is considered the most direct or desirable approach to a given physical, intellectual, or moral end: Fear caused him to deviate from the truth. To digress is primarily to wander from the main theme or topic in writing or speaking: Some authors digress to relate entertaining episodes. Two paths diverge when they proceed from a common point in such directions that the distance between them increases: The sides of an angle diverge from a common point. Their interests gradually diverged. To swerve is to make a sudden or sharp turn from a line or course: The car swerved to avoid striking a pedestrian.

Example Sentences

It draws a very strong red line for telco companies who try to deviate from the EU’s net neutrality rules.

From Fortune

So you want to aim by default for the perfect portage in order to minimize wasted time, then deviate from it deliberately only when hunger or scenery or whatever calls for it.

From Outside Online

The new film already deviates from the original in other ways — it’s lost most of the songs, removed many of the comical aspects, and even jettisoned the original love story.

From Vox

But, in the hands of two Brits, playwright Alice Birch and director William Oldroyd, the story migrates to the UK as well as deviating from the novella’s ending.

From Vox

As lockdowns ease, there’s a willingness among many advertisers to deviate from their tried-and-tested media plans.

From Digiday

We might not be off the mark nine out of 10 times, but we deviate plenty.

From The Daily Beast

Why have conservative jurists become so willing to deviate from an originalist viewpoint on the Second Amendment?

From The Daily Beast

The deer have regular runs, from which they rarely deviate, and which do not vary in the course of years.

From Project Gutenberg

Might it not be the nature of bodies, or of some particular bodies, to deviate towards the right?

From Project Gutenberg

I will not deviate in the least from the precepts and examples of the ancients, who were always our best masters.

From Project Gutenberg

Ptolemy's and Pliny's versions, Diamouna and Jomanes, do not deviate much from the original.

From Project Gutenberg

If he deviate only a few cents, the expert buyers of retail stores will know it and go elsewhere.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• depart
• differ
• diverge
• vary
• veer