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
My complaint team failed because of variation in knowledge, the risk shifts in the new reality to successfully applying that knowledge, to recognizing deviations and asking why?
—
George Pesansky, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
Many disclosures still rely on proxy data, such as industry averages, which can result in deviations of 30-40% or more from real values.
—Sophia Mendelsohn, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
As the duck progresses downstream, any tiny deviation will multiply.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Anything different from that, now and in the past, is an appalling deviation from our core values.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deviation
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George Pesansky, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
Many disclosures still rely on proxy data, such as industry averages, which can result in deviations of 30-40% or more from real values.
—Sophia Mendelsohn, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
As the duck progresses downstream, any tiny deviation will multiply.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Anything different from that, now and in the past, is an appalling deviation from our core values.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 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 20 Sep. 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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