adj.
Differing from a norm or from the accepted standards of a society.
n.
One that differs from a norm, especially a person whose behavior and attitudes differ from accepted social standards.
[Middle English deviaunt, from Late Latin dēviāns, dēviant-, present participle of dēviāre, to deviate. See deviate.]
deviance de'vi·ance or de'vi·an·cy n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
