deviation: Meaning and Definition of

de•vi•a•tion

Pronunciation: (dē"vē-ā'shun), [key]
— n.
  1. the act of deviating.
  2. departure from a standard or norm.
  3. the difference between one of a set of values and some fixed value, usually the mean of the set.
  4. the error of a magnetic compass, as that of a ship, on a given heading as a result of local magnetism. Cf. variation (def. 8).
    1. Also calleddeflection.the bending of rays of light away from a straight line.
    2. Seeangle of deviation.
  5. departure or divergence from an established dogma or ideology, esp. a Communist one.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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