major deviation

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "major deviation" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe a significant departure from a standard, norm, or expected outcome. An example: "The project experienced a major deviation from the original timeline." Alternative expressions include "significant divergence" and "substantial variation."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Any major deviation would destroy her chances.

The New York Times - Health

But the opera featured one major deviation from the form.

The New York Times - Arts

This was a major deviation from what Hollywood does at these events.

The Washington Post

It's unlikely a single ship getting stuck in ice will cause a major deviation in researchers' findings.

The Guardian

The dot product is used as the intrinsic measure of a major deviation.

Robotics and Autonomous Systems

Back in 1895, when the northern clubs broke away, to take the train from Hull (the most easterly) to Widnes (the most westerly) would have taken in 21 of 22, with only (I think) Stockport having presented any major deviation.

The Guardian - Sport

In a major deviation from Shakespear's script, Sher iff Lear (Welles) has a change of heart and joins his sons to fight hypocrisy after another Mississippi sheriff gouges out his eyes on the mistaken as sumption that he is either Peter Hoffman.

The New York Times

As Donald Trump continues to wrestle with how he would treat the millions of immigrants illegally living in the United States, he has made a series of comments indicating that he might be okay with some of them staying, which would be a major deviation from his earlier stance of wanting mass deportations.

The Washington Post

His other major deviation from Leibniz was on the question of preestablished harmony, which he held to apply not to the whole universe but only to the relationship between the soul and the body and to consist in a correspondence of inner states in the percipient and in the nonpercipient monads.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Nor would it require a sudden, major deviation from the standards of free speech most of the developed world respects.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

How to explain this major deviation from the historical trend, other than conspiracy theories?

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair the phrase with the preposition "from" to clearly identify the benchmark being compared, such as in the phrase "major deviation from the protocol".

Common error

Do not use "major deviation" for trivial changes or slight adjustments. Overusing it in casual contexts can diminish its technical impact in professional writing. For minor changes, consider using "slight variation" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "major deviation" functions as a noun phrase. It combines the intensifying adjective "major" with the noun "deviation" to quantify a significant distance from a norm. According to Ludwig, it is standard in both formal and academic English, typically acting as the subject or object in sentences describing change or error.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

55%

Academia

25%

News & Media

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "major deviation" is a robust and highly professional phrase used to signal significant variance from a standard, protocol or expectation. Ludwig AI data reveals its heavy prevalence in Scientific and Academic contexts, where precision regarding data outliers is paramount. It is grammatically correct and most effective when paired with the preposition "from". While versatile enough for news reporting, it should be reserved for instances where the change described is substantial rather than incidental. Using it correctly ensures your writing maintains a tone of authoritative objectivity and clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

significant divergence

Emphasizes the act of branching away from a common point.

substantial departure

Often used when someone leaves a traditional method or established rule.

marked discrepancy

Focuses on the lack of compatibility or agreement between two sets of data.

drastic shift

Implies a sudden and large change in position or ideology.

notable variation

Suggests a change that is worthy of attention but perhaps less severe.

considerable difference

A more general term for a large gap between two things.

fundamental change

Indicates a shift in the core essence rather than just a measurement.

extreme outlier

Specific to statistics, referring to a value that is very far from the mean.

pronounced drift

Suggests a slow but very noticeable movement away from an original course.

wide disparity

Highlights a large inequality or difference, often in social or economic contexts.

FAQs

What can I say instead of "major deviation"?

You can use alternatives like "significant divergence", "substantial departure" or "notable variation" depending on the context.

Is "major deviation" formal?

Yes, it is a formal and technical phrase frequently found in scientific research, academic papers and high-level news reporting to describe large variances.

How do you use "major deviation" in a sentence?

It is typically used to describe a drift from a standard, for example: "The results showed a "major deviation from" the predicted model."

What is the difference between "major deviation" and "minor deviation"?

The difference lies in scale; a "major deviation" implies a significant or critical gap that might invalidate a result, while a "minor deviation" suggests a small, often negligible difference.