1. A variation that deviates from the standard or norm
   "the deviation from the mean";
   - divergence, departure, difference
    
2. A temporary departure from the main subject or course in speech, writing, or thought
   "The lecture was full of interesting deviations";
   - diversion, digression, deflection, deflexion [Brit], divagation [rare], sidetrack, discursion, aside, excursus, parenthesis
    
3. (statistics) the difference between an observed value and the expected value of a variable or function
   "The large deviation from the mean suggested an outlier in the dataset"
    
4. The error of a compass due to local magnetic disturbances
   "The ship's navigator had to account for the compass deviation when plotting the course"
    
5. Deviate behaviour
   "The sociologist studied patterns of deviation in urban youth cultures";
   - deviance, deviancy

Derived forms: deviations

Type of: abnormality, content, erroneousness, error, fluctuation, irregularity, message, statistic, subject matter, substance, turn, turning, variation

Encyclopedia: Deviation