Standard Lemma guide

deviate

adj · noun · verb · 11 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.

  • dē'vēət
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈdiː.vi.ət/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈdi.vi.ət/
  • Australian: /ˈdiː.vi.ət/
  • Australian: [ˈdɪi.vi.ət] cultivate
  • New-Zealand: /ˈdiː.vi.ət/
  • dē'vēāt
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈdiː.vi.eɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈdi.vi.eɪt/
  • Australian: /ˈdiː.vi.æɪt/
  • Australian: [ˈdɪi.vi.æɪt] cultivate
  • New-Zealand: /ˈdiː.vi.æɪt/
  • CMU ARPABET: D IY1 V IY0 EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

deviant

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, sciences, social-science, sociology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person with deviant behaviour; a deviant, degenerate or pervert.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, sciences, social-science, sociology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: deviant, degenerate, pervert

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A value equal to the difference between a measured variable factor and a fixed or algorithmic reference value.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences, statistics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To go off course from; to change course; to change plans.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To fall outside of, or part from, some norm; to stray.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, intransitive

Examples

  • His exhibition of nude paintings deviated from the norm.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To cause to diverge.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

markedly different from an accepted norm

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • aberrant behavior
  • deviant ideas

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: aberrant, deviant

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

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, deviant, 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

9

verb

Meaning 9

turn aside; turn away from

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: divert

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: turn

Narrower terms: yaw, detour, sidetrack, depart, digress, straggle

10

verb

Meaning 10

cause to turn away from a previous or expected course

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The river was deviated to prevent flooding

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: divert

Narrower terms: perturb, shunt

11

verb

Meaning 11

be at variance with; be out of line with

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: vary, diverge, depart

Antonyms: conform

Broader terms: differ

Narrower terms: aberrate, contradict, belie, negate

History

Etymology

From Late Latin dēviātus, see Etymology 1 and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more.

From a substantivation of Late Latin dēviātus, see Etymology 1 and -ate (noun-forming suffix) for more.

From Late Latin dēviātus, perfect passive participle of dēviō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more. Compare French dévier.

Across languages

Translations

47 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: poikkeava — sociology: a person with deviant behaviour; a deviant, degenerate or pervert
  • Finnish: poikkeama — sociology: a person with deviant behaviour; a deviant, degenerate or pervert
  • Polish: dewiant — sociology: a person with deviant behaviour; a deviant, degenerate or pervert
  • Armenian: շեղվել (šeġvel) — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Bulgarian: отклонявам се (otklonjavam se) — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Dutch: afwijken — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Finnish: poiketa — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • French: dévier — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • German: abweichen — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Greek: παρεκκλίνω (parekklíno) — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Hebrew: סטה (satá) — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Hebrew: סָר (sar) — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Hungarian: eltér — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Hungarian: elhajlik — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Hungarian: kitér — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Hungarian: letér — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Hungarian: tér — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Ido: deviacar — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Japanese: 逸れる (soreru) — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Latin: descisco — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Macedonian: застрани се (zastrani se) — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Portuguese: desviar — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Romanian: devia — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Russian: отклоня́ться (otklonjátʹsja) — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Russian: отклони́ться (otklonítʹsja) — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Sanskrit: ह्वरति (hvarati) — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Spanish: desviarse — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Spanish: marrar — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Tagalog: lumihis — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Tamil: கோணு (kōṇu) — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Ottoman Turkish: دونمك (dönmek) — to go off course from; to change course; to change plans
  • Armenian: շեղվել (šeġvel) — to fall outside of, or part from, some norm; to stray
  • Bulgarian: отклонявам се (otklonjavam se) — to fall outside of, or part from, some norm; to stray
  • Danish: deviere — to fall outside of, or part from, some norm; to stray
  • Dutch: afwijken — to fall outside of, or part from, some norm; to stray
  • Finnish: poiketa — to fall outside of, or part from, some norm; to stray
  • German: abweichen — to fall outside of, or part from, some norm; to stray
  • Hungarian: eltér — to fall outside of, or part from, some norm; to stray
  • Latin: descisco — to fall outside of, or part from, some norm; to stray
  • Portuguese: desviar — to fall outside of, or part from, some norm; to stray
  • Romanian: devia — to fall outside of, or part from, some norm; to stray
  • Russian: отклоня́ться (otklonjátʹsja) — to fall outside of, or part from, some norm; to stray
  • Russian: отклони́ться (otklonítʹsja) — to fall outside of, or part from, some norm; to stray
  • Swedish: avvika — to fall outside of, or part from, some norm; to stray
  • Ottoman Turkish: آزمق (azmak) — to fall outside of, or part from, some norm; to stray
  • Hungarian: eltérít — to cause to diverge
  • Hungarian: elhajlít — to cause to diverge