deviation

noun

de·​vi·​a·​tion ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce deviation (audio)
: an act or instance of deviating: such as
a
navigation : deflection of the needle of a compass caused by local magnetic influences (as in a ship)
b
mathematics : the difference between a value in a frequency distribution and a fixed number (such as the mean)
c
: departure from an established ideology or party line
deviation from Communist orthodoxy
d
: noticeable or marked departure from accepted norms (see norm sense 2) of behavior
deviationist noun or adjective

Examples of deviation in a Sentence

There have been slight deviations in the satellite's orbit. Having juice instead of coffee was a deviation from his usual routine. The pattern's deviation from the norm is significant.
Recent Examples on the Web There will always be deviations from the norm, and this is where the aforementioned situational awareness comes into play. Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 The 2020 census determined the city's districts are outside of the allowable deviation, with the east side seeing the most population loss. Detroit Free Press, 7 Feb. 2024 Based on historical observations, a deviation like the temperature spike in 2023 should occur less than once per century, Rohde and his Berkeley Earth colleagues wrote in their report. USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2024 The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Broward circuit court, asks the court to declare the resolution approving the developer’s deviations from the city’s downtown master plan as void and unenforceable. Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2024 Monitoring their quality for project compliance will reduce the risk of deviations. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 After the full show had finished airing in December, Aizawa used Instagram to explain the strange plot deviations of the final two, albeit without directly naming Ashihara. Patrick Frater, Variety, 31 Jan. 2024 Randolph’s brown roots and blonde tresses– a deviation from her normal dark hair look– reminded us of the chameleon-like versatility of the award-winning actress. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 15 Jan. 2024 David Bowie Birthday Celebration at Pearl Street Warehouse Pearl Street’s dance party in honor of what would have been Bowie’s 77th birthday is a bit of a deviation from its usual focus on country, bluegrass and Americana. Adele Chapin, Washington Post, 4 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deviation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see deviate entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deviation was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near deviation

Cite this Entry

“Deviation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deviation. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

deviation

noun
de·​vi·​a·​tion ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce deviation (audio)
: an act or instance of deviating: as
a
: the difference found by subtracting some fixed number (as the arithmetic mean of a series of statistical data) from any item of the series
b
: noticeable difference from accepted standards (as of behavior or morals)

Medical Definition

deviation

noun
de·​vi·​a·​tion ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce deviation (audio)
: an act or instance of diverging from an established way or in a new direction: as
a
: evolutionary differentiation involving interpolation of new stages in the ancestral pattern of morphogenesis
b
: noticeable or marked departure from accepted norms of behavior

More from Merriam-Webster on deviation

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