By averaging the squared difference between each value and the mean and finding the square root of the result, we can find the standard deviation.
Source: tatoeba (754884)
Deviation
/ˌdiː.viˈeɪʃən/
Synonyms for "deviation" (448 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (90)
Noun(12 words)
departuredifferencedivergenceaberrationsabnormalcyabnormalitiesallowancesanomaliesatypicalitybreak routineclimate anomalycourse deviation
aberranceaberrancyaberrationabnormalityabnormityabout faceabout-faceaccommodationadaptationadjustmentallowancealterationambagesameliorationamorphismanamorphismanamorphosisanomalismanomalousnessanomaly
Show 54 more words
apostasyapproximationasymmetrybendbettermentbiasblunderbreachbreakbucklebypassbypathbywaycapriciousnesscentrifugencechangechange of heartchangeabilitychangeablenesschoppinesscirclingcircuitcircuitioncircuitousnesscircuitrycircularitycirculationcircumambiencecircumambiencycircumambulationcircumbendibuscircumflexioncircumlocutioncircummigrationcircumnavigationconceitconstructive changecontinuitycontortioncontrarietycontrastconversioncornercrackpotismcrankcrankinesscrankismcrookcrookednesscrosswisenesscrotchetcrotchetinesscurvedappleness
Adjective(2 words)
astronomical anomalybad
Verb(2 words)
change directionchanged direction
Strong matches (134)
Noun(36 words)
data anomaliesdata irregularitydeflectiondeflectionsdeflexiondeparturesderailmentsdetoursdeviancedeviation scorediffer greatlydigressiondigressionsdiscrepanciesdiscrepancy prepositiondisobediencedispersiondistancedistortingdivagation
Show 16 more words
decentralizationdeclinationdefectiondeflectiondeflexuredegenerationdegenerative changedeparturedeploymentderangementdeteriorationdetorsiondetourdeviancedeviancydeviousnessdiagonalitydifferencedifferentiationdifferentness
Show 75 more words
digressiondisaccorddisaccordancedisagreementdisconformitydiscongruitydiscontinuitydiscordancediscrepancydiscretenessdiscursiondisorderdisparitydisproportiondissentdissimilaritydissonancedistinctiondistinctnessdistortiondivagationdivaricationdivergencedivergencydiversificationdiversiondiversitydivisiondoglegdottinessdoubledrifteccentricityepisodeerrantryerraticismerraticnesserrorexcursionexcursusfailingfanningfanning outfar cryfaultfittingflip flopflip-flopfreakinessfreakishnessgnarlgradual changegyregyringhairpinheterogeneityheteromorphismidiocrasyidiosyncrasyimbalanceimprecisionimprovementinaccordanceinaccuracyinaccuratenessincompatibilityincongruityinconsistencyinconsonanceinconstancyincorrectnessindirectionindirectnessinequalityinexactitude
Verb(2 words)
deviatingignore guidelines
Adjective(1 words)
french varier
Related words (224)
inexactnessinferiorityinharmoniousnessinharmonyinnovationinstabilityirreconcilabilityirregularityjerkinesskinkknotlapselaxitylicenceloosenesslopsidednessmaggotmannerismmeanderingmelioration
Show 149 more words
mercurialitymitigationmixturemodificationmodulationmonstrositymotleynessmutabilitymutationnegligencenoncompliancenonconcurrencenonconformancenonconformismnonconformitynonobservancenonstandardizationnonuniformityobliquenessobliquityoddityoddsoppositionorbitorbitingoriginalityothernessoverthrowpeculiarityperversionpluralismpredictable errorprobable errorprotestqualificationqueernessquipquirkquirkinessradical changeraggednessramblingre creationre-creationrealignmentrecalcitrancerecusancerecusancyredesignreformreformationrefractorinessremakingrenewalreshapingrestructuringreversalrevivalrevivificationrevolutionroundaboutroundabout wayroundaboutnessroundingscrewseparatenessseparationsheershiftshiftingside pathside roadsidetracksingularityskewskewnessslantslopespiralspiralingsplayingspreadspreadingspreading outsquintstandard deviationstrangenessstrayingsubnormalitysudden changesuperioritysweepswerveswervingswingingswitchtackteratismtolerancetorsiontortuositytotal changetransgressiontransitiontransversenesstrickturnturnaboutturningtwistunconformismunconformityunconventionalityuncorrectnessunevennessunfactualnessunlikenessunnaturalismunnaturalnessunorthodoxyunprecisenessunrigorousnessunsteadinessunsymmetryupheavalvagaryvariabilityvariancevariationvariegationvarietyvariousnessveerversatilityviolationviolent changewanderingwarpwaveringwheelingwhimwhimsicalitywhimsyworseningwrenchwrestwringyawzigzag
Adjective(10 words)
insignificant deviancemajor irregularityminor driftnatural phenomena in sciencenonconformingrandom distortionrare occurrenceserious irregularityunorthodoxunusual case
Noun(43 words)
irregularitieslurchesmarkedly differentmeasurement discrepancymisbehaviormisstepsmost misalignednon patternnonconformitynorm violationnot alignedoffsetpeculiaritiesperturbationperturbationsperversionperversionspervertingresidualsresidues
Show 23 more words
residuumrule breakingshape irregularitysidetrackingslippageslippagesstandards misalignmentstatistical irregularitystrayingswerveswervesswervingtolerationtolstransgressionsundershootsvariancevariancesvariationsvary to some extentveeringwanderwaywardness
Verb(2 words)
observed inconsistencyveers
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: departure, difference, divergence, aberrance, aberrancy.
- Sentence evidence is available for deviation, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "deviation".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "deviation"
Keep "deviation" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "deviation" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "deviation", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "deviation" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
13 entriesMore specific
5 entriesCollocations
6 entriesangular deviationdegree of deviationdeviation from plandeviation from the normstandard deviationstatistical deviation
Inflections
4 entriesDerivations
5 entriesTranslations
19 translations across 16 languages.
Catalan
1 entries- desviació noun (statistical deviation)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 偏差 noun (statistical deviation)
- 誤差 /误差 noun (statistical deviation)
Czech
1 entries- odchylka noun (statistical deviation)
Finnish
1 entries- poikkeama noun (statistical deviation)
French
1 entries- écart noun (statistical deviation)
German
1 entries- Abweichung noun (statistical deviation)
Greek
1 entries- απόκλιση noun (statistical deviation)
Italian
2 entries- deviazione noun (statistical deviation)
- scarto noun (statistical deviation)
Japanese
1 entries- 偏差 noun (statistical deviation)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- avvik noun (statistical deviation)
Polish
1 entries- odchylenie noun (statistical deviation)
Portuguese
1 entries- desvio noun (statistical deviation)
Spanish
1 entries- desviación noun (statistical deviation)
Swedish
1 entries- avvikelse noun (statistical deviation)
Tagalog
2 entries- kaliwasan noun (statistical deviation)
- liwas noun (statistical deviation)
Turkish
1 entries- sapma noun (statistical deviation)
Sample sentences
12 total sentences available.
No deviation from the regulations will be tolerated.
Source: tatoeba (8657798)
Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.
Source: tatoeba (9589185)
The neutrino's ability to travel without deviation from its course means its source can be accurately tracked, unlike other types of subatomic particles that can be dragged off course by a magnetic field like the Earth's.
Source: tatoeba (10844783)
Showing 4 of 12 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "deviation"?
Closest matches include departure, difference, divergence, aberrance, aberrancy.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "deviation"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.