Main Entry:

¹de·vi·ate

Pronunciation:

\ˈdē-vē-ˌāt\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

de·vi·at·ed; de·vi·at·ing

Etymology:

Late Latin deviatus, past participle of deviare, from Latin de- + via way — more at way

Date:

circa 1633

intransitive verb 1 : to stray especially from a standard, principle, or topic 2 : to depart from an established course or norm <a flight forced by weather to deviate south> transitive verb : to cause to turn out of a previous course

synonyms see swerve

— de·vi·a·tor \-ˌā-tər\ noun

— de·vi·a·to·ry \-ə-ˌtȯr-ē\ adjective