deviation
dee-vee-EY-shuhn
/ˌdiːviˈeɪʃən/
The action of departing from an established course, standard, or accepted value.
Usually implies a measurable distance or variance from a nominal target or standard path.
The story behind the word. Derived from 'de-' (away from) + 'via' (way/road). It literally means stepping off the main road into the bushes.
Word relationships
- divergence: Divergence implies moving away in different directions permanently, while deviation is a temporary or measured departure from a path.
- conformity: Compliance with standards, rules, or laws; staying on the path.
Commonly confused with
- variance: Variance is a statistical measure of spread, while deviation is the physical act or amount of departing from a specific target.
Word family
- deviate (verb): To depart from an established course.
- deviant (adjective): Departing from usual or accepted standards.
Collocations
- standard deviation
- slight deviation
- allowable deviation
- measure deviation
Example sentences
- "Any deviation from the flight path must be immediately reported to air traffic control." Aviation safety protocol
Memory hook
Think of a train deviating from its tracks (via) and going off into the dirt. Stepping off the path.
When not to use
Avoid using when referring to a complete, permanent change in strategy (that is a pivot, not a deviation).
Fun facts
- In statistics, 'standard deviation' is a measure of how spread out numbers are from their average, represented by the Greek letter sigma.
Explore more words
aberrant, anomaly, error, deflection, quality control, discrepancy
Also appears in
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