Deviations
/ˌdiːviˈeɪʃənz/
Definitions
2 meaningsThe act of departing from a standard or a norm, often unintentionally.
/ˌdiːviˈeɪʃənz/
A departure from a standard, norm, or expected course.
The study showed significant deviations from the predicted results.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're baking a cake, and the recipe says to use 1 cup of sugar, but you accidentally put in 1.5 cups. That's a deviation from the recipe! It's when something is different than what's expected.
👶 For kids: When something is a little bit different from how it's supposed to be.
More Examples
There were several deviations in the patient's heart rate, which concerned the doctor.
The artist's work often features deviations from traditional artistic styles.
How It's Used
"The standard deviations of the data sets were compared to assess their variability."
"Researchers studied behavioral deviations from the expected social norms."
"The product must meet the specifications with minimal deviations."
The amount by which something departs from a standard.
/ˌdiːviˈeɪʃənz/
The difference between an actual value and a specified or expected value.
The company closely monitored deviations from its sales projections.
💡 Simply: Think about a target. If your arrow doesn't hit the bullseye, the distance between where it hit and the bullseye is a deviation. It's how much something is 'off' from what you want.
👶 For kids: How far something is from where it should be.
More Examples
Small deviations from the ideal measurement were considered acceptable.
They measured the deviations in temperature to understand how the climate was changing.
How It's Used
"The deviations from the mean were calculated to analyze the data distribution."
"Any deviations from the manufacturing process must be documented."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
From Latin *deviatio* ('a turning aside'), derived from *de-*, meaning 'away, off', and *via*, meaning 'way'. The word evolved to describe departures from a standard or a norm.
The word 'deviation' has been used since the 16th century, initially to describe a turning aside from a road or path, and later expanding to include divergences from norms and standards.
Memory tip
Think of a train track. Deviations are where the train veers off course from the standard track.
Word Origin
"a turning aside"