deviation

noun

de·​vi·​a·​tion ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shən 

: 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

deviationism

ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shə-ˌni-zəm 

noun

deviationist

ˌdē-vē-ˈā-sh(ə-)nist 

noun or adjective

Synonyms of deviation

• departure
• detour
• divergence
• deflection

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

Restaurants in some touristy neighborhoods like Miami Beach might slap on a tip of their own for large parties or try and sneak an automatic tip past you, but in general, there weren’t too many deviations. —Connie Ogle updated May 27, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026

Legal teams monitor turnaround times, deviation rates and approval bottlenecks. —Krupesh Bhat, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

But in cryptography, even the smallest deviation can create vulnerabilities that attackers may exploit. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026

The Luce's body style is a bold deviation from Ferrari's typical design language. —Charles Singh, USA Today, 26 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

see deviate entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing deviation

• mean deviation
• mean square deviation
• standard deviation

Rhymes for deviation

• ablation
• aeration
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation

Kids Definition

deviation

noun

de·​vi·​a·​tion ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shən 

: 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 

: 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