deviation

[ dee-vee-ey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of deviating.
2. departure from a standard or norm.
3. Statistics. the difference between one of a set of values and some fixed value, usually the mean of the set.
4. Navigation. the error of a magnetic compass, as that of a ship, on a given heading as a result of local magnetism. Compare variation ( def 8 ).
5. Optics.
   1. Also called deflection. the bending of rays of light away from a straight line.
   2. angle of deviation.
6. departure or divergence from an established dogma or ideology, especially a Communist one.

deviation

/ ˌdiːvɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. an act or result of deviating
2. statistics the difference between an observed value in a series of such values and their arithmetic mean
3. the error of a compass due to local magnetic disturbances

deviation

/ dē′vē-ā′shən /

1. The difference between one number in a set and the mean of the set.

Other Words From

• de·vi·a·to·ry [dee, -vee-, uh, -tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], devi·ative adjective
• nonde·vi·ation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of deviation¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin dēviātiōn-, stem of dēviātiō; equivalent to deviate + -ion

Example Sentences

In terms of average lateral deviation for spinners, these games were in the top quarter of matches where ball-tracking data is available, but not in the top sixth.

From BBC

According to the report, the pilot tried to correct the deviation but was met with a "significant judder" from the nose gear.

From BBC

What she and Gallo looked for were significant deviations from that stable average.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s a notable deviation, given that the latter allows more room for creative license.

From Los Angeles Times

Riley acknowledged that Moss didn’t exactly follow the script, but noted it was a smart deviation.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aberration
• alteration
• anomaly
• breach
• detour
• discrepancy
• disparity
• divergence
• diversion
• fluctuation
• inconsistency
• irregularity
• modification
• variance
• variation