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

Trump cannot abide any slight or deviation from Trumpian orthodoxy.

From Salon

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

From Los Angeles Times

"When I first heard something that was a deviation, it rang a false note for me because I had to look at the script for so long. But in the editing room we ended up going with some of Keiran’s improvs because they just felt natural to him."

From BBC

Related Words

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