deviate

/ˈdē-vē-ˌāt/

Late Latin deviatus, past participle of deviare, from Latin de- + via way

verb

  1. to stray especially from a standard, principle, or topic

  2. to depart from an established course or norm

  3. to cause to turn out of a previous course

deviating from the subject

swerve veer deviate depart digress diverge mean to turn aside from a straight course. swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness. veer implies a major change in direction.

noun

  1. one that deviates from a norm; especially : a person who differs markedly from a group norm

  2. a statistical variable that gives the deviation of another variable from a fixed value (such as the mean)

adjective

  1. departing significantly from the behavioral norms of a particular society

deviate behavior