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

The platform’s new AI agent, René, allows dispatchers and fleet managers to investigate operational inefficiencies through simple conversational queries, identifying the root causes of issues like excessive overtime or route deviations. —Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 16 Apr. 2026

But there are other deviations as well. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026

The system uses sensor feedback to adjust for small deviations over time. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026

Iran officials warned that any deviation from the agreement could lead to future violence. —Npr Staff, NPR, 8 Apr. 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

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

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