deviation
/ˌdiviˈeɪʃən/ noun C1- The act of deviating; wandering off the correct or true path or road.
- A departure from the correct way of acting.
- The state or result of having deviated; a transgression; an act of sin; an error; an offense. · mankind’s deviation from divine will
- A detour in a road or railway.
- A detour to one side of the originally-planned flightpath (for instance, to avoid weather); the act of making such a detour.
- The voluntary and unnecessary departure of a ship from, or delay in, the regular and usual course of the specific voyage insured, thus releasing the underwriters from their responsibility.
- The shortest distance between the center of the target and the point where a projectile hits or bursts.
- For interval variables and ratio variables, a measure of difference between the observed value and the mean.
Plural deviations
From the library
This seemingly minor cartographic deviation could misdirect merchant vessels by hundreds of miles, resulting in severe navigational delays and wasted resources.
They actively discourage deviations from the prescribed path, rendering the journey a mere obstacle to be overcome as swiftly as possible.
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