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
The audience now anticipates secrets to be revealed, characters to combat one another, detours and deviations in the plot, plus a few jump scares.
—
Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 25 July 2025
There may be slight deviations from the podcast audio.
—Amanda Luberto, AZCentral.com, 23 July 2025
These questions attempt to force defendants to agree with broad safety principles, then use those agreements to argue any deviation endangered the community.
—Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
In Your Face Mineral Tint SPF 31 (lot 408-002; 76 bottles)
Reason for Recall: The FDA cited deviations from cGMP as the basis for the recall.
—Matt Cannon, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for deviation
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 25 July 2025
There may be slight deviations from the podcast audio.
—Amanda Luberto, AZCentral.com, 23 July 2025
These questions attempt to force defendants to agree with broad safety principles, then use those agreements to argue any deviation endangered the community.
—Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
In Your Face Mineral Tint SPF 31 (lot 408-002; 76 bottles)
Reason for Recall: The FDA cited deviations from cGMP as the basis for the recall.
—Matt Cannon, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 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 29 Jul. 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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