deviation

Language: en

🇬🇧 /ˌdiːvɪˈeɪʃən/ 🇺🇸 /ˌdiːviːˈeɪʃən/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    The act of departing from an established course, standard, or norm; a divergence or departure from what is expected or accepted.; In statistics, the amount by which a single data point differs from a fixed value, typically the mean of a dataset.; In navigation, the angular difference between magnetic north and compass north caused by local magnetic influences on a vessel or aircraft.; In optics, the angle through which a ray of light is bent when passing through a prism or refracting surface.; A departure from accepted moral, social, or behavioral standards; an aberration or irregularity.; In genetics, a departure from the expected Mendelian ratio or from a normal phenotypic pattern.; In law, an unauthorized departure from the terms of a contract, insurance policy, or agreed route, especially in maritime law referring to a ship's unjustified departure from its intended voyage.; In politics, a departure from an official party line or ideological orthodoxy.; In ballistics, the lateral displacement of a projectile from its intended line of fire due to wind, spin, or other factors.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: deviations

Collocations

standard deviationdeviation from the normslight deviationsignificant deviationdeviation from the meandeviation from the plan

Derivatives

deviatedeviantdeviancedeviancydeviational

Synonyms

divergencedeparturevariationaberrationdiscrepancydigression

Antonyms

conformityadherencecompliance

Commonly confused

deviance
EN: 'Deviance' refers specifically to behavior that violates social norms, while 'deviation' is a broader, more neutral term for any departure from a standard or expected path.
divergence
EN: 'Divergence' emphasizes two things moving apart from each other, while 'deviation' emphasizes departure from a single established standard or course.

Spelling tips

EN: Note the transformation from the verb 'deviate' (ending in '-ate') to the noun 'deviation' (ending in '-ation'). Do not misspell as 'devition' or 'deviaton'.

💬 Examples

  1. The deviation from the original plan caused significant delays in the project.

  2. The standard deviation of the test scores was 12.5 points.

  3. The navigator corrected for the compass deviation before plotting the course.

  4. The deviation of the light ray increased as the angle of incidence grew larger.

  5. Society often punishes deviation from its established norms and values.

  6. The deviation from the expected 3:1 ratio suggested the presence of linked genes.

  7. The insurance company denied the claim on the grounds that the ship had made an unjustified deviation from its planned route.

  8. His deviation from party doctrine led to his expulsion from the central committee.

  9. The sniper accounted for wind deviation before taking the shot at long range.