deviate

[ verb dee-vee-eyt; adjective noun dee-vee-it ]

verb (used without object)

, de·vi·at·ed, de·vi·at·ing.

1. to turn aside, as from a route, way, course, etc.

   Synonyms: stray, wander, veer

2. to depart or swerve, as from a procedure, course of action, or acceptable norm.
3. to digress, as from a line of thought or reasoning.

verb (used with object)

, de·vi·at·ed, de·vi·at·ing.

1. to cause to swerve; turn aside.

adjective

1. characterized by deviation or departure from an accepted norm or standard, as of behavior.

noun

1. a person or thing that departs from the accepted norm or standard.
2. a person whose sexual behavior departs from the norm in a way that is considered socially or morally unacceptable.
3. Statistics. a variable equal to the difference between a variate and some fixed value, often the mean.

deviate

verb

1. usually intr to differ or diverge or cause to differ or diverge, as in belief or thought
2. usually intr to turn aside or cause to turn aside; diverge or cause to diverge
3. intr psychol to depart from an accepted standard or convention

noun

1. another word for deviant

Derived Forms

• ˈdeviatory, adjective
• ˈdeviˌator, noun

Other Words From

• devi·a·ble adjective
• de·vi·a·bil·i·ty [dee-vee-, uh, -, bil, -i-tee], noun
• devi·ator noun
• non·devi·ating adjective
• un·devi·a·ble adjective
• un·devi·ated adjective
• un·devi·ating adjective
• un·devi·ating·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of deviate¹

First recorded in 1625–35; from Late Latin dēviātus “turned from the road,” past participle of dēviāre “to stray, turn from the road,” from Latin dē- de- + vi(a) “road, way” + āre, infinitive verb suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of deviate¹

C17: from Late Latin dēviāre to turn aside from the direct road, from de- + via road

Synonym Study

Deviate, digress, diverge, swerve imply turning or going aside from a path. To deviate is to turn or wander, often by slight degrees, from what is considered the most direct or desirable approach to a given physical, intellectual, or moral end: Fear caused him to deviate from the truth. To digress is primarily to wander from the main theme or topic in writing or speaking: Some authors digress to relate entertaining episodes. Two paths diverge when they proceed from a common point in such directions that the distance between them increases: The sides of an angle diverge from a common point. Their interests gradually diverged. To swerve is to make a sudden or sharp turn from a line or course: The car swerved to avoid striking a pedestrian.

Example Sentences

“I am concerned that the Home Office deviated from standard practice, overlooked warnings about the condition of the site and lacked expertise to properly oversee the purchase of Northeye.”

From BBC

A Kern County public meeting dramatically deviated from the agenda when Supervisor Leticia Perez accused district attorney staff of attempting to “illegally” search her office.

From Los Angeles Times

“Folie à Deux” also deviates from “Joker” in another significant way: It’s a musical.

From Los Angeles Times

The Forest Service may deviate from the policy when it’s in a unified command, or if there’s imminent threat to life or property, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

In contrast, Ukrainians will have been reassured by Kamala Harris’s responses, with no sign she would deviate from the current position of staunch American support.

From BBC

Related Words

• depart
• differ
• diverge
• vary
• veer