DEVIANCE Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

deviance

noun

Definition of deviance

as in divergence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of deviance Yet during the axman’s reign in the early 1900s, a Black woman’s confession to murder was interpreted through the lens of religious deviance rather than diversity. — Lauren Nicole Henley, The Conversation, 17 Feb. 2026 One real danger here is the normalization of deviance — when small ethical compromises become routine, paving the way for larger issues down the line. — Rhett Power, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025 Many immigrant communities either ignore mental health challenges or see symptoms as evidence of spiritual deviance. — Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2025 Jeffrey’s confrontation of the deeply disturbing underbelly of his seemingly quintessential hometown, with its idyllic exterior glorifying the American Dream, mirrors the tension between repression and indulgence, normalcy and deviance. — Travis Bean, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deviance

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deviance

Noun

Watch vessel-level AIS tracking data for the Gibraltar corridor itself, the kind of transit-time and vessel-count monitoring the IMF's PortWatch initiative already runs, for any early divergence from the roughly 300-vessels-per-day baseline.

— Frank Ahrens, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
But the dramatic divergence of the new measurement from the detector’s own past results, along with the collaboration’s claim of high precision, made the situation hard to ignore.

— Matt von Hippel, Quanta Magazine, 29 July 2026

Definition of divergence

Noun

In addition to the discrepancy between the two ad loads, the Fox and Telemundo measurements are at odds, as the English-language figures include pre-match coverage, while Telemundo’s reports are match-only averages.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 21 July 2026
This discrepancy between wish fulfilment and truth-seeking is simple enough to grasp when there’s a binary question, such as whether Odysseus is alive or dead.

— Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 21 July 2026

Definition of discrepancy

Noun

The disparity in vehicle size is a major concern on America’s roads, particularly as passenger cars trend bigger and heavier, with electrified models pushing curb weights up even further.

— Adam Ismail, The Drive, 30 July 2026
The tribe will have to rely on other revenue sources that are now allowed through recognition, such as a casino, to reverse the health disparities their people have faced for decades, Lumbee researchers said.

— Andrew Jones, NPR, 30 July 2026

Definition of disparity

Noun

In fact, the German scholar Winfried Fluck, in a study of the Americanization of global culture, credited Americans’ dissimilarities with the dominance of its popular culture.

— Lily Rothman, Time, 23 Apr. 2026
Their results support the hypothesis that limiting trait similarity allows the establishment of non-native parakeets at the local scale by reducing competition with native species due to trait dissimilarity.

— GrrlScientist, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2026

Definition of dissimilarity

Noun

It is particularly aimed at improving diversity in the sector through targeting young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, female and non-binary individuals and those from ethnic minorities.

— Roger Trapp, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
But African populations carry more diverse segments and some that are distinct, a consequence of some of the diversity that was lost when only a fraction of the total population expanded into Eurasia.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026

Definition of diversity

Noun

With few exceptions, Southerners are pretty strict about the differences between cakes, pies, cobblers, and candies.

— Josh Miller, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026
At that scale, the difference between $1 and 20 cents per million input tokens becomes a serious procurement issue.

— Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of difference

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“Deviance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deviance. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of deviance

noun

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