ˌdēvēˈāshən noun
( -s )
Etymology: Late Latin deviation-, deviatio, from deviatus + Latin -ion-, -io -ion
: an act or instance of deviating : deflection , veering , divergence : as
a. : deflection of the needle of a compass caused by magnetic influences within the ship or airplane in which it is mounted
b. in the old Ptolemaic system : a motion of the deferent toward and from the ecliptic
c.
(1) : the divergence laterally unless otherwise stated of a projectile from the plane of departure caused by extraneous factors (as drift, wind)
(2) : the divergence of a projectile from the mean direction of a number of shots fired at the same target — called also deviation from the center of impact
(3) : the angular measurement between a burst and a target as measured from an observation post
d. : voluntary and unnecessary departure of a ship from the regular and usual course of a specific voyage, such departure releasing underwriters of insurance on the ship from further responsibility
e. : deflection 5a
f. : the algebraic difference found by subtracting some fixed number (as the arithmetic mean of a series of statistical data) from any item of the series
g. : evolutionary differentiation involving interpolation of new stages in the ancestral pattern of morphogenesis — compare anaboly , archallaxis
h. : departure from an established body of principles, a system of beliefs, an ideology, or a party line ; specifically : departure from strict Marxist doctrine
he was expelled from the Communist party for deviation
i. : noticeable or marked departure from accepted societal norms of behavior