deviation

noun

de·​vi·​a·​tion ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce deviation (audio)
: 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
deviationist noun or adjective

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 There may be slight deviations from the podcast audio. Amanda Luberto, The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2024 This special counsel report is an unfortunate deviation from the norms that guide the Department of Justice throughout its history. Nbc Universal, NBC News, 11 Feb. 2024 However, reality rarely aligns with these rosy expectations, resulting in budget deviations and stress. Andre Jean-Pierre, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 Again, the Reagan buildup and the War on Terror were only temporary deviations from the overall trend. Dominic Pino, National Review, 30 Jan. 2024 Friedman’s quibbles included that Volcker eventually did target interest rates again—a deviation from textbook monetarism—but this was clearly a smaller scale dispute than the ones Friedman faced in the nineteen-sixties, when his proposals were boxed out of Democratic administrations. Krithika Varagur, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2024 There will always be deviations from the norm, and this is where the aforementioned situational awareness comes into play. Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 The 2020 census determined the city's districts are outside of the allowable deviation, with the east side seeing the most population loss. Detroit Free Press, 7 Feb. 2024 Based on historical observations, a deviation like the temperature spike in 2023 should occur less than once per century, Rohde and his Berkeley Earth colleagues wrote in their report. USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deviation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see deviate entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deviation was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near deviation

Cite this Entry

“Deviation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deviation. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

deviation

noun
de·​vi·​a·​tion ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce deviation (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce deviation (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on deviation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!