deviate

1 of 3

verb

de·​vi·​ate ˈdē-vē-ˌāt 

deviated; deviating

intransitive verb

1

: to stray especially from a standard, principle, or topic

deviating from the subject

2

: to depart from an established course or norm

a flight forced by weather to deviate south

rarely deviates from his usual routine

behaviors that deviate from the norm

transitive verb

: to cause to turn out of a previous course

he would deviate rivers, turn the scorched plains … into fertile pastures

—F. M. Godfrey

deviator

ˈdē-vē-ˌā-tər 

noun

deviatory

ˈdē-vē-ə-ˌtȯr-ē 

adjective

deviate

2 of 3

noun

de·​vi·​ate ˈdē-vē-ət 

-vē-ˌāt

1

: one that deviates from a norm

especially : a person who differs markedly from a group norm

2

mathematics : a statistical variable that gives the deviation (see deviation sense b) of another variable from a fixed value (such as the mean)

deviate

3 of 3

adjective

de·​vi·​ate ˈdē-vē-ət 

-vē-ˌāt

: departing significantly from the behavioral norms (see norm sense 2) of a particular society

deviate behavior

Did you know?

Deviant & Deviate

Deviant and deviate share a common root (the Latin deviare “to wander off the road, swerve, deviate”) and have some similarities in meaning, but they differ in notable ways. Deviant has functioned in English as an adjective (since the 15th century) and as a noun (since the early 20th century), in each case with a sense that suggests a straying from an accepted norm or from what is considered standard behavior. In contrast to deviant’s socially prescriptive connotations, the verb deviate often implies a less judgmental sense of swerving from the usual way (as in “he never deviated from his routine of drinking coffee with breakfast.”)

Synonyms

Verb

• turn
• swing
• diverge
• veer

Noun

• pervert
• degenerate
• rake

Adjective

• abnormal
• unnatural

Choose the Right Synonym for deviate

swerve, veer, deviate, depart, digress, diverge mean to turn aside from a straight course.

swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness.

swerved to avoid hitting the dog

veer implies a major change in direction.

at that point the path veers to the right

deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions.

after school their paths diverged

Examples of deviate in a Sentence

Verb

sailors forced to deviate from their course in order to avoid the storm

Noun

a sleazy bar that seemed to be an informal clubhouse for deviates

Adjective

the mother's deviate response to her child's death aroused suspicions

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Those on the conference call would likely face very human dilemmas, and that might lead them to deviate from the rules, added Erin Dumbacher, an expert in nuclear policy at the Council on Foreign Relations. —Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025

Reagan championed free trade while selectively deviating from it, according to the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. —Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025

Noun

Never does anybody in the film deviate from their pre-ordained archetype; never does Kafka, Holland’s invention, deviate from Kafka, the legend. —Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025

Now, the man is charged with criminal deviate conduct, burglary and criminal confinement, police said. —Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2025

Adjective

Her pitch was simple: Homosexuality is a sin, and if homosexuals were given carte blanche to glamorize their ‘deviate lifestyle’ in Miami-area classrooms, the American family would be destroyed and the American way of life would disappear. —Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Jan. 2025

Aggravating circumstances: Rape/criminal deviate conduct, on probation or parole, mutilation/torture. —Tim Evans, Indianapolis Star, 31 Jan. 2014

Word History

Etymology

Verb, Noun, and Adjective

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

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1633, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1929, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for deviate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

deviate

verb

de·​vi·​ate

ˈdē-vē-ˌāt

deviated; deviating

: to turn aside from a course, principle, standard, or topic

Medical Definition

deviate

1 of 2 adjective

de·​vi·​ate ˈdē-vē-ət  -vē-ˌāt 

: characterized by or given to significant departure from the behavioral norms of a particular society

deviate

2 of 2 noun

: one that deviates from a norm

especially : a person who differs markedly from a group norm