deviation

noun

de·​vi·​a·​tion ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce deviation (audio)
Synonyms of deviationnext
: 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
deviationism
ˌdē-vē-ˈā-shə-ˌni-zəm How to pronounce deviation (audio)
noun
deviationist
ˌdē-vē-ˈā-sh(ə-)nist How to pronounce deviation (audio)
noun or adjective

Synonyms of deviation

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Now, doctors get your latest cycle phase, symptoms, sleep score, steps and temperature deviation sent straight to their clinical dashboards so your stats are all in one place. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 23 July 2026 Manufacturing tacit knowledge cannot be captured fully in SOPs because real process behavior often lives in pattern memory built through years of batch history, deviations and corrective action. — Nagesh Nama, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 For all the culture-war debates about the liberties Nolan took in his casting, his most radical deviation from the text has to do with agency and who has it. — Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026 In short, despite occasional deviations from the script, most foundations have lacked expiration dates. — Thomas Adam, The Conversation, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for deviation

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

Phrases Containing deviation

Rhymes for deviation

See All Rhymes for deviation

Browse Nearby Words

deviate
deviation
deviational
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deviation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deviation. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

Nglish: Translation of deviation for Spanish Speakers

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of parochial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All