Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

deviation

 - 6 dictionary results

de⋅vi⋅a⋅tion

  [dee-vee-ey-shuhn]
Use deviation in a Sentence
–noun
1. the act of deviating.
2. departure from a standard or norm.
3. Statistics. the difference between one of a set of values and some fixed value, usually the mean of the set.
4. Navigation. the error of a magnetic compass, as that of a ship, on a given heading as a result of local magnetism. Compare variation (def. 8).
5. Optics.
a. Also called deflection. the bending of rays of light away from a straight line.
b. angle of deviation.
6. departure or divergence from an established dogma or ideology, esp. a Communist one.
Origin:
1375–1425; late ME (< MF) < ML dēviātiōn- (s. of dēviātiō), equiv. to LL dēviāt(us) (see deviate ) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms:
de⋅vi⋅a⋅to⋅ry  [dee-vee-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] , de⋅vi⋅a⋅tive, adjective

angle of deviation

 
–noun Optics.
the angle equal to the difference between the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction of a ray of light passing through the surface between one medium and another of different refractive index.
Also called deviation.

Origin:
1825–35
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To deviation
de·vi·a·tion   (dē'vē-ā'shən)   
n.  

  1. The act of deviating or turning aside.

  2. An abnormality; a departure: "Vice was a deviation from our nature" (Henry Fielding).

  3. Deviant behavior or attitudes.

  4. Divergence from an accepted political policy or party line.

  5. Deflection of a compass needle caused by local magnetic influence, especially on a ship.

  6. Statistics The difference, especially the absolute difference, between one number in a set and the mean of the set.

de'vi·a'tion·ism n., de'vi·a'tion·ist adj. & n.
Synonyms: These nouns mean a departure from what is prescribed or expected: tolerates no deviation from the rules; regretted the aberrations of my adolescence; the divergence of two cultures.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: de·vi·a·tion
Pronunciation: "dE-vE-'A-sh&n
Function: noun
: an act or instance of diverging from an established way orin a new direction: as a : evolutionary differentiation involving interpolation of new stages in the ancestral pattern of morphogenesis b : noticeable or markeddeparture from accepted norms of behavior
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

deviation de·vi·a·tion (dē'vē-ā'shən)
n.

  1. A turning away or aside from a normal course.

  2. An abnormality.

  3. Deviant behavior or attitudes.

  4. The difference, especially the absolute difference, between one number in a set and the mean of the set.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
deviation   (dē'vē-ā'shən)  Pronunciation Key 
The difference between one number in a set and the mean of the set.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see deviation on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way