greatest deviation

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "greatest deviation" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where you are discussing the largest difference or divergence from a standard, norm, or expected value. Example: "In our analysis, we found that the greatest deviation occurred in the data collected from the southern region."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Academia

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

41 human-written examples

Within our case population, many SNPs deviated significantly (p<0.05) from HWE (Table 2), and SNPs with the greatest deviation (lowest p-value) were in the OAS1 promoter.

Plosone

The accordance of the figures for different observatories is striking (excepting Tolosa), the greatest deviation from the average being only + 33m.

Nature

Mr. Obama's greatest deviation from current policy is also our biggest worry: his insistence on withdrawing U.S. combat troops from Iraq on a fixed timeline.

The Washington Post

Then actually 100% any pair is a match, of course, this is the greatest deviation from the uniform distribution I can think of.

Cornell University

Additionally, according to the correlation, the greatest deviation was found at 10° and in general at high frequencies the deviation was better than at low frequencies.

Composite Structures

Polyjet was found to give the most accurate representation of the intended design while FDM produced spacers that showed the greatest deviation from the specifications.

Journal of Membrane Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

19 human-written examples

Accuracy ≥ 3% is obtained for the range of nuclear geometries examined here, with the greatest deviations occurring for the more complex geometries.

Biophysical Journal

The "Skeptic" community is very segregated from the rest (see Fig. 4), and its sentiment leanings show greatest deviations from the leaning of other communities (see Fig. 6).

Computational Social Networks

These represent greatest deviations from the global relationship between PD and SR.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

The greatest deviations (Table  2) were 3.5% for Tl and 2.9% for 99mTc.

European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging

Cluster 1 presented the greatest deviations at the ankle and the greatest range of motion in all the planes when compared to the other clusters.

BioMed Research International

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair this phrase with a specific reference point, such as "greatest deviation from the average" or "greatest deviation from the predicted model", to provide clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "greatest deviation" when you are simply comparing two static values. Deviation implies a standard, path, or trend that is being departed from. If you are just comparing two numbers, "largest difference" is usually more accurate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "greatest deviation" functions as a superlative adjective modifying a noun. According to Ludwig, it is used to quantify the extreme limit of variation within a set. The word "greatest" acts as the superlative of "great", while "deviation" serves as the head noun, representing the act of departing from a standard.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

75%

Academia

15%

News & Media

10%

Less common in

Social Media

1%

Informal conversation

2%

Fiction writing

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "greatest deviation" is a robust and highly professional term used to highlight the maximum point of difference from a standard or expectation. Analysis by Ludwig confirms its widespread acceptance in Scientific and Academic communities, where precision is paramount. Whether you are discussing a statistical outlier in a laboratory setting or a significant policy shift in a political context, this phrase provides the necessary weight and clarity. It is best used when a clear baseline or "norm" has already been established. While synonyms like "largest discrepancy" are available, "greatest deviation" remains the gold standard for technical analysis and formal reporting.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

largest discrepancy

Focuses on the lack of compatibility or agreement between facts.

maximum divergence

Emphasizes the geometric or mathematical process of moving in different directions.

biggest departure

Commonly used in non-technical contexts to describe a shift away from a tradition or policy.

highest variance

Uses specific statistical terminology to describe the spread of data.

most significant outlier

Identifies a specific data point that is far from the average.

widest disparity

Highlights a large gap, often used in social or economic contexts.

greatest aberration

Implies that the deviation is not only large but also abnormal or unwelcome.

most pronounced shift

Describes a change that is very noticeable or prominent.

major non-conformity

Often used in quality control or regulatory environments.

peak fluctuation

Refers to the highest point of change within a series of movements.

FAQs

How do I use "greatest deviation" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe an extreme outlier, for example: "The data point from the third trial showed the "greatest deviation" from our original hypothesis."

What can I say instead of "greatest deviation"?

Depending on your context, you might use alternatives like "largest discrepancy", "maximum divergence" or "biggest departure".

Is it correct to say "most deviation" or "greatest deviation"?

While "most deviation" is understandable, "greatest deviation" is the standard superlative form used in formal and scientific writing to describe the degree of variance.

What is the difference between "greatest deviation" and "highest variance"?

While "greatest deviation" usually refers to a specific instance or point of departure, "highest variance" is a statistical term describing the overall spread or variability within a whole set of data.