deviate

verb

de·vi·ate | \ ˈdē-vē-ˌāt

deviated; deviating

Definition of deviate

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : to stray especially from a standard, principle, or topic deviating from the subject

2 : to depart from an established course or norm a flight forced by weather to deviate south rarely deviates from his usual routine behaviors that deviate from the norm

transitive verb

: to cause to turn out of a previous course he would deviate rivers, turn the scorched plains … into fertile pastures— F. M. Godfrey

deviate

noun

de·vi·ate | \ ˈdē-vē-ət

, -vē-ˌāt\

Definition of deviate (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : one that deviates from a norm especially : a person who differs markedly from a group norm

2 mathematics : a statistical variable that gives the deviation (see deviation sense b) of another variable from a fixed value (such as the mean)

deviate

adjective

de·vi·ate | \ ˈdē-vē-ət

, -vē-ˌāt\

Definition of deviate (Entry 3 of 3)

: departing significantly from the behavioral norms (see norm sense 2) of a particular society deviate behavior

Other Words from deviate Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Deviant & Deviate More Example Sentences Learn More about deviate

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Other Words from deviate

Verb

deviator \ ˈdē-vē-ˌā-tər

\ noun

deviatory \ ˈdē-vē-ə-ˌtȯr-ē

\ adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for deviate

Verb

swerve, veer, deviate, depart, digress, diverge mean to turn aside from a straight course. swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness. swerved to avoid hitting the dog veer implies a major change in direction. at that point the path veers to the right deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course. never deviated from her daily routine depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type. occasionally departs from his own guidelines digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse. a professor prone to digress diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions. after school their paths diverged

Deviant & Deviate

Deviant and deviate share a common root (the Latin deviare “to wander off the road, swerve, deviate”) and have some similarities in meaning, but they differ in notable ways. Deviant has functioned in English as an adjective (since the 15th century) and as a noun (since the early 20th century), in each case with a sense that suggests a straying from an accepted norm or from what is considered standard behavior. In contrast to deviant’s socially prescriptive connotations, the verb deviate often implies a less judgmental sense of swerving from the usual way (as in “he never deviated from his routine of drinking coffee with breakfast.”)

Examples of deviate in a Sentence

Verb

sailors forced to deviate from their course in order to avoid the storm

Noun

a sleazy bar that seemed to be an informal clubhouse for deviates

Adjective

the mother's deviate response to her child's death aroused suspicions

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The Earth's magnetosphere is sensitive to deviated solar winds. — Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, "How to See the Northern Lights This Weekend," 30 Aug. 2019 That means general manager Jeff Bridich must deviate from the usual draft-and-build plan that, to his credit, has led to high expectations. — Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, "Newman: To get back to the postseason, Rockies need to trade for a proven starting pitcher. Here’s the arms they should target.," 18 June 2019 In Bari, deviating from the norm is an integral part of the city’s DNA. — Giulia Barcaro, National Geographic, "Meet the local legends of this Italian town by the sea," 3 Apr. 2019 The lawsuit also criticizes the city for allowing the developer, BajaMex, to deviate from city regulations related to landscaping and how far buildings must be set back from the street. — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Outlet mall at border sues to block 5-story parking garage," 22 July 2019 Dark Phoenix’s iteration of the Jean Grey story doesn’t deviate much from the version Kinberg wrote in the criminally horrendous X-Men: The Last Stand (2006): Jean Grey is special. — Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "Dark Phoenix is a joyless retelling of the X-Men’s most famous story," 5 June 2019

deviate

Definition of deviate

Other Words from deviate

Synonyms & Antonyms for deviate

Choose the Right Synonym for deviate

Deviant & Deviate

Examples of deviate in a Sentence

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