deviation
noun
de·vi·a·tion
ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shən 
: 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
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
Trump, in a deviation from his predecessor, has failed to commit the country to defending Taiwan, the self-governing island claimed by Beijing.
—
Linggong Kong, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2025
In other words, women have long been viewed as a deviation from men rather than a group deserving their own research and consideration, McGregor says.
—Shreyas Teegala, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2025
Investigators found inconsistent altitude readings from the helicopter, which may have caused altitude deviation.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
In the footage, the trio is shown accidentally killing a man named Mojo, a deviation from the cartoon's villain Mojo Jojo.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deviation
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Linggong Kong, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2025
In other words, women have long been viewed as a deviation from men rather than a group deserving their own research and consideration, McGregor says.
—Shreyas Teegala, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2025
Investigators found inconsistent altitude readings from the helicopter, which may have caused altitude deviation.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
In the footage, the trio is shown accidentally killing a man named Mojo, a deviation from the cartoon's villain Mojo Jojo.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deviation
Cite this Entry
“Deviation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deviation. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deviation
noun
de·vi·a·tion
ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shən
: 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
: 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
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