deviate

verb de·vi·ate \ ˈdē-vē-ˌāt \

Updated on: 7 Dec 2017

Definition of deviate

deviated; deviating

intransitive verb

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

—

deviator

play \-ˌā-tər\ noun

—

deviatory

play \-ə-ˌtȯr-ē\ adjective

See deviate defined for English-language learners

See deviate defined for kids

Examples of deviate in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of deviate from the Web

But deviating from Kalanick’s approach is exactly the right tactic for Khosrowshahi, says Jan Dawson, chief analyst for Jackdaw Research in California.

— danica kirka, The Seattle Times, "Uber wields new weapon in fight with London: diplomacy," 25 Sep. 2017
The report’s conclusions do not deviate wildly from the last 20 years of consensus in climate science.

— robinson meyer, The Atlantic, "A Major New U.S. Report Affirms: Climate Change Is Getting Worse," 3 Nov. 2017
Roberts didn't deviate from the Dodgers' plan from Hill's previous postseason starts.

— jake kaplan, Houston Chronicle, "Astros lose to Dodgers in Game 6, set up winner-take-all Game 7," 1 Nov. 2017
Instead, critics say, the concentration of power in one man’s hands has created its own bottlenecks, with officials unsure how to execute policies or afraid to deviate from top-down demands.

— chris buckley, New York Times, "Xi Jinping Unveils China’s New Leaders but No Clear Successor," 24 Oct. 2017
This time, however, the mandatory viewing has deviated from the usual themes of domestic politics and economic development.

— The Economist, "God’s giftChina declares itself a global power," 14 Sep. 2017
This latest batch of acceptance speeches yielded a variety of thank-you recipients that didn't deviate too wildly from the those of past award shows, although there were a few anomalies.

— ryan bort, Esquire, "Who Got the Most Thank-Yous at the 2015 Oscars," 23 Feb. 2015
Dion’s powerhouse voice deviated from Piaf’s precise vibrato while easing into the soaring vocal runs demanded of the song.

— caitlin kelley, Billboard, "Best American Music Awards Performances No. 10: Celine Dion Pays Tribute to Paris Attack Victims at the 2015 AMAs," 6 Nov. 2017
The iMac 16,2 with a 21.5-inch screen released in late 2015 had the highest occurrence of incorrect firmware at 43%, followed by three versions of the MacBook Pro with a13-inch screen released in late 2016, which deviated between 35% and 25%.

— robert hackett, Fortune, "Apple Mac Firmware Updates Are Quietly Failing and No One Knows Why," 29 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deviate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.”)

Origin and Etymology of deviate

Late Latin deviatus, past participle of deviare, from Latin de- + via way — more at way

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1633

See Words from the same year

deviate Synonyms

Synonyms

detour, turn, diverge, sheer, swerve, swing, turn off, veer, wheel

Related Words

tack, zigzag; double (back), turn back

Synonym Discussion of deviate

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

deviate

noun de·vi·ate \ -vē-ət , -vē-ˌāt \

Definition of deviate

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 b) of another variable from a fixed value (such as the mean)

Examples of deviate in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of deviate from the Web

Riley was convicted in 1997 of involuntary manslaughter and criminal deviate conduct involving a 10-month-old child.

— ruth ann krause, Post-Tribune, "Prosecutor: Riley's story doesn't add up," 5 June 2017
But the areas of common ground make clear the extent to which President Trump’s views on the government’s role in health care deviate from those of respected voices on both the left and the right.

— amy goldstein, Washington Post, "Bipartisan health policy coalition urges Congress to strengthen the ACA," 9 Aug. 2017
After submitting a plea agreement, Riley was sentenced to seven years for involuntary manslaughter and 31 years for criminal deviate conduct.

— ruth ann krause, Post-Tribune, "Gary man sentenced to 91 years in woman's shooting death," 11 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of deviate

see ¹deviate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1912

See Words from the same year

deviate Synonyms

Synonyms

backslider, debauchee, debaucher, decadent, degenerate, libertine, perv, pervert, profligate, rake, rakehell, rip

Related Words

bankrupt, delinquent, derelict, incorrigible; blackguard, cad, heel, knave, miscreant, rascal, reprobate, rogue, scoundrel, villain; lecher, playboy, playgirl, satyr

Near Antonyms

saint

deviate

adjective de·vi·ate \ -vē-ət , -vē-ˌāt \

Definition of deviate

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

deviate behavior

Examples of deviate in a Sentence

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

Origin and Etymology of deviate

see ¹deviate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1929

See Words from the same year

deviate Synonyms

Synonyms

aberrant, aberrational, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, deviant, devious, irregular, unnatural, untypical

Antonyms

natural, normal, regular, standard, typical

Near Antonyms

common, commonplace, everyday, familiar, ordinary, routine, run-of-the-mill, run-of-the-mine (or run-of-mine), unexceptional, unremarkable, workaday; customary, usual, wonted; archetypal (also archetypical), average, characteristic, representative

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

DEVIATE Defined for English Language Learners

deviate

verb

Definition of deviate for English Language Learners

: to do something that is different or to be different from what is usual or expected

DEVIATE Defined for Kids

deviate

verb de·vi·ate \ ˈdē-vē-ˌāt \

Definition of deviate for Students

deviated; deviating

: to follow a course, principle, standard, or topic that is different from usual

He never deviates from his daily routine.

Medical Dictionary

deviate

adjective de·vi·ate \ ˈdē-vē-ət , -vē-ˌāt \

medical Definition of deviate

: characterized by or given to significant departure from the behavioral norms of a particular society

deviate

noun

medical Definition of deviate

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

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deviate

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Origin and Etymology of deviate

deviate Synonyms

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deviate

Definition of deviate

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Origin and Etymology of deviate

deviate Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

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Other Psychology Terms

DEVIATE Defined for English Language Learners

deviate

Definition of deviate for English Language Learners

DEVIATE Defined for Kids

deviate

Definition of deviate for Students

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deviate

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deviate

medical Definition of deviate

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