deviate: Meaning and Definition of

de•vi•ate

Pronunciation: (v.dē'vē-āt"adj., n.dē'vē-it), [key]
— v., adj., n. -at•ed, -at•ing,
—v.i.
  1. to turn aside, as from a route, way, course, etc.
  2. to depart or swerve, as from a procedure, course of action, or acceptable norm.
  3. to digress, as from a line of thought or reasoning.
—v.t.
  1. to cause to swerve; turn aside.
—adj.
  1. characterized by deviation or departure from an accepted norm or standard, as of behavior.
—n.
  1. a person or thing that departs from the accepted norm or standard.
  2. a person whose sexual behavior departs from the norm in a way that is considered socially or morally unacceptable.
  3. a variable equal to the difference between a variate and some fixed value, often the mean.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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