deviation

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "deviation" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to refer to a divergence from the normal or accepted course of action. For example, you could say, "There has been a significant deviation from the norm in this particular situation."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

56 human-written examples

I'm of an age to call someone roughly other like Giggs "pop", but he more or less inhabits some highly specified area that flickers in and around hip-hop and gangsta rap and the knotty domestic deviation, grime, that added certain ragged home truths and electronically quarried sonic grit to grabby, waggish hip-hop alertness.

The Guardian - Music

When Simi begins to palpate Mary's joints, she finds her stride, spilling out technical terms as she goes: symmetrical deformity; ulnar deviation at the MCP joint; rheumatoid nodules, widespread over all joints; Z-thumb deformity; fixed flexion deformity on all fingers; swan neck deformity… The list seems endless, and Karan is impressed, needing to prompt Simi only once or twice.

The Guardian

History tells us that there is rarely more than a 1-point deviation in the margin between the popular vote and the state that would cause the electoral college winner to change.

The Guardian

Unlike his more flashy contemporaries, 6ft-plus aristocrats of the front line towering above their competitors in a series of decorous leaps stage-managed for the highlights reel, Cahill's headers have always emerged up and out of the tangle of bodies in the box, as if capturing the evolution of a collective kinetic mass rather than some deviation from it.

The Guardian - Sport

Stalin is celebrated not as a Communist but as a restorer of Russian greatness after Lenin's anti-patriotic "deviation".

The Guardian

But the principlists hate and despise Mr Mashaei, dubbing him a "source of deviation" for his relatively liberal views on personal freedoms and his statements that seem to belittle clerical authority.Not long ago an election fight that included Messrs Rafsanjani and Mashaei seemed unthinkable.

The Economist

To take one case, a decline in rainfall of one standard deviation cuts Brazilian farm incomes by 4%.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

4 human-written examples

However, the odds of a 25-standard-deviation event are comparable to winning the lottery 21 or 22 times in a row: the fact that it happened even once proved that the model used to estimate those probabilities was gravely flawed.Mr Haberstroh and Mr Ilardi seem to have succumbed to a similar fallacy.

The Economist

On that basis, a 23% sell-off in one day would never have been expected.Echoes of that view were heard during August's turmoil, when price movements were described as a "25-standard-deviation event".

The Economist

That, in turn, made it harder to farm: a one standard-deviation increase in the TSI is associated with a six percentage-point reduction in the use of ploughs.The tsetse fly is found only in Africa, so Ms Alsan tested her results in areas outside Africa with similar climates; she did not find the same pattern.

The Economist

She compares the TSI with anthropological records of precolonial African farming.She finds that a one standard-deviation increase in the TSI is associated with a 23 percentage-point decline in the likelihood that the local people kept domesticated livestock.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing statistical data, clearly specify whether you're referring to standard "deviation" or another type of variance to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "derivation" when you mean "deviation". "Derivation" refers to the origin or development of something, while "deviation" refers to a departure from a standard or norm.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "deviation" is as a noun, referring to the act or state of departing from an established course, standard, or norm. As Ludwig AI confirms, its usage is correct and applicable in various written contexts, exemplified by numerous examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "deviation" is a versatile noun indicating a departure from an established norm, standard, or course. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and widely used across diverse contexts, including news, business, and science. Its communicative purpose is to highlight differences or irregularities. Common synonyms include "departure", "divergence", and "variance". When using "deviation", avoid confusing it with "derivation". Be mindful of the context to ensure precise communication, especially in statistical discussions where specifying the type of "deviation" is crucial.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

departure

Emphasizes the act of leaving or moving away from a set course or norm.

divergence

Highlights the act of splitting or moving in different directions from a common point.

variance

Focuses on the degree of difference or dispersion from an average or expected value.

discrepancy

Suggests a difference or inconsistency between two or more things that should be the same.

aberration

Implies a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected, often with negative connotations.

infraction

Specifically refers to a violation or infringement of a law, agreement, or set of rules.

digression

Highlights a temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing.

irregularity

Indicates something that is not in accordance with rules, customs, or usual practices.

anomaly

Suggests something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected, often being difficult to classify.

nonconformity

Emphasizes the failure or refusal to conform to accepted standards, conventions, rules, or laws.

FAQs

How to use "deviation" in a sentence?

You can use "deviation" to describe a departure from an expected course or standard, as in "The unexpected results represented a significant "deviation" from our initial hypothesis.".

What can I say instead of "deviation"?

You can use alternatives like "departure", "divergence", or "variance" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "deviation" or "derivation"?

"Deviation" refers to a departure from a standard, while "derivation" refers to the origin or source of something. Use the term that accurately reflects your intended meaning.

What's the difference between "deviation" and "variance"?

"Deviation" generally refers to any departure from a norm, while "variance" is a specific statistical measure of the spread of data points around the mean.