Standard Lemma guide

deviant

adj · noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈdiː.vi.ənt/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IY1 V IY0 AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Characterized by deviation from an expectation or a social standard.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • At the trial, the extent of his deviant behaviour became clear.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person who deviates, especially from norms of social behavior.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He was branded as a deviant and ostracized.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A thing, phenomenon, or trend that deviates from an expectation or pattern.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • As the graph shows, the March sales trend is the deviant.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A member of the online art community DeviantArt.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Internet

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Alternative letter-case form of deviant (“a member of the online art community DeviantArt”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

markedly different from an accepted norm

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • aberrant behavior
  • deviant ideas

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: aberrant, deviate

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

a person whose behavior deviates from what is acceptable especially in sexual behavior

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pervert, deviate, degenerate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reprobate, miscreant

Narrower terms: fetishist, masochist, nymphomaniac, nympho, pederast, paederast, child molester, pedophile, paedophile, sadist, sadomasochist, satyr, lecher, lech, letch, sodomite, sodomist, sod, bugger

History

Etymology

From Middle English devyaunt (“deviating, different”), from Late Latin dēviāns, present participle of dēviō (“to stray, deviate or detour”). The noun is from the adjective, possibly attested in Middle English with the meaning “one who goes astray”. * (DeviantArt member): So called because the website was originally for people who modified (deviated) computer applications.

Across languages

Translations

60 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: отклоняващ се (otklonjavašt se) — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Czech: deviantní — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Czech: úchylný — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Dutch: afwijkend — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Finnish: poikkeava — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • French: déviant — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • German: abweichend — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • German: abnormal — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • German: pervers — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • German: anders — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Hungarian: deviáns — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Italian: anormale — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Italian: deviante — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Lakota: šikšíl — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Macedonian: девија́нтен (devijánten) — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Macedonian: на́стран (nástran) — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Romanian: deviant — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Romanian: deviator — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Russian: девиа́нтный (deviántnyj) — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Spanish: anormal — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Spanish: disconforme — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Spanish: desconforme — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Spanish: aberrante — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Spanish: desviado — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Spanish: desviante — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Swedish: avvikande — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Ottoman Turkish: آزغین (azgın) — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Ottoman Turkish: اكری (eğri) — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Ukrainian: девіа́нтний (deviántnyj) — of or pertaining to a deviation
  • Czech: deviant — person who deviates
  • Danish: afviger — person who deviates
  • Dutch: afwijkeling — person who deviates
  • Dutch: afvallige — person who deviates
  • Finnish: poikkeava — person who deviates
  • French: déviant — person who deviates
  • German: Abweichler — person who deviates
  • German: Abnormaler — person who deviates
  • German: Perverser — person who deviates
  • German: Querulant — person who deviates
  • German: Andersdenker — person who deviates
  • Italian: pervertito — person who deviates
  • Italian: anormale — person who deviates
  • Polish: dewiant — person who deviates
  • Spanish: anormal — person who deviates
  • Spanish: desconforme — person who deviates
  • Spanish: desviado — person who deviates
  • Spanish: disconforme — person who deviates
  • Spanish: desviante — person who deviates
  • Swedish: avvikare — person who deviates
  • Ukrainian: збо́ченець (zbóčenecʹ) — person who deviates
  • Ukrainian: збо́ченка (zbóčenka) — person who deviates
  • Bulgarian: отклонение (otklonenie) — thing that deviates
  • Dutch: afwijkeling — thing that deviates
  • Finnish: poikkeus — thing that deviates
  • German: Perversität — thing that deviates
  • Italian: inusuale — thing that deviates
  • Italian: anormale — thing that deviates
  • Italian: insolito — thing that deviates
  • Italian: atipico — thing that deviates
  • Macedonian: отстапу́вање (otstapúvanje) — thing that deviates