deviance: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal/Academic
Quick answer
What does “deviance” mean?
Behaviour that breaks the accepted social or moral standards of a group.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Behaviour that breaks the accepted social or moral standards of a group.
A measure or state of differing from a norm or standard, often applied statistically, technically, or in social sciences to describe variation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or meaning differences. Usage is equally academic/sociological in both varieties.
Connotations
Slightly more clinical/neutral in American academic sociology; can sound slightly more judgemental in British non-academic contexts.
Frequency
Low frequency in general discourse in both varieties, but standard in academic sociology and psychology texts.
Grammar
How to Use “deviance” in a Sentence
deviance from [norm/standard]deviance in [behaviour/attitudes]deviance among [group/population]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “deviance” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The data points began to deviate significantly from the trend line.
- He was accused of deviating from the agreed-upon procedures.
American English
- The aircraft's path deviated from its flight plan due to weather.
- She never deviates from her morning routine.
adverb
British English
- The results did not deviate significantly from our predictions.
- He behaved deviantly compared to his peers.
American English
- Her actions ran deviantly to the group's expectations.
- The machine was operating deviantly, so we shut it down.
adjective
British English
- The psychologist specialised in deviant behaviour.
- They discovered a deviant reading on the sensor.
American English
- The court ordered an evaluation for deviant sexual interests.
- A deviant data point was excluded from the analysis.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Possibly in HR contexts: 'Any deviance from company policy must be reported.'
Academic
Common in sociology, criminology, psychology: 'The study analyses the social construction of deviance.'
Everyday
Uncommon. Used with negative tone: 'The community was shocked by such deviance.'
Technical
Used in statistics: 'The model accounts for a 5% deviance from the expected values.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “deviance”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “deviance”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “deviance”
- Using 'deviance' to mean a simple mistake or error. Confusing 'deviance' (noun) with 'deviant' (adjective/noun). Using it in positive contexts (e.g., 'her creative deviance' sounds odd).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In everyday language, yes, it carries a negative judgement. In academic sociology, it is used more neutrally to describe any behaviour that breaks a social norm, which could be minor or major.
'Deviation' is more general and often used in mathematical, statistical, or technical contexts to mean a departure from a standard. 'Deviance' is strongly associated with social, moral, or behavioural norms.
It is primarily an uncountable/mass noun (e.g., 'a lot of deviance'). It can be used countably in formal contexts to refer to specific types (e.g., 'sexual deviances'), but this is less common.
Generally, no. It is not typically used with an indefinite article unless specifying a particular type or instance in very formal academic writing (e.g., 'a deviance from the norm was observed'). The more natural phrasing is 'an act of deviance' or simply 'deviance'.
Behaviour that breaks the accepted social or moral standards of a group.
Deviance is usually formal/academic in register.
Deviance: in British English it is pronounced /ˈdiːviəns/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈdiːviəns/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A statistical blip, not a pattern of deviance.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of DEVIANCE as DEVIATING from the accepted ANCE (instance) of behaviour.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIAL NORMS ARE A PATH (deviance is straying from the path).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'deviance' MOST appropriately used?