deviant

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deviant^¹

/ˈdiː.vi.ənt/ UK

Where it comes from

From Middle English devyaunt (“deviating, different”), from Late Latin dēviāns, present participle of dēviō (“to stray, deviate or detour”). The noun is from the adjective, possibly attested in Middle English with the meaning “one who goes astray”.

* (DeviantArt member): So called because the website was originally for people who modified (deviated) computer applications.

adjective more deviant · most deviant

Characterized by deviation from an expectation or a social standard. At the trial, the extent of his deviant behaviour became clear.
Similar: deviate

noun deviants

A person who deviates, especially from norms of social behavior. He was branded as a deviant and ostracized.
Similar: heteroclite
A thing, phenomenon, or trend that deviates from an expectation or pattern. As the graph shows, the March sales trend is the deviant.
Similar: abnormality
Internet A member of the online art community DeviantArt. In contrast to Flickr, deviantArt offers a broad range of user affordances, enabling both synchronous and asynchronous interpersonal and group communication, as well as networking with other deviants and the surveillance of the work of others (through the deviantWATCH affordance).

Deviant^²

noun Deviants

Alternative letter-case form of deviant (“a member of the online art community DeviantArt”). Matuszczak credits the advice offered up by fellow “Deviants” for his artistic and technical development. […] In such a thicket of creativity, notes Gamiddo, who says he spends up to 10 hours a week on the site, “you have to do some work to get noticed. You get what you give.” In keeping with this p

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: deviate, abnormal, aberrant, pervert, degenerate, anomalous, unusual, atypical, perv, dissenting, dissent, mislead, devious, problem, deviation, inappropriate

noun

Translations

Every language

adj of or pertaining to a deviation

Español	anormal, disconforme, desconforme, aberrante, desviado, desviante
Français	déviant
Deutsch	abweichend, abnormal, pervers, anders
Italiano	anormale, deviante
Română	deviant, deviator
Русский	девиа́нтный deviántnyj

noun person who deviates

Español	anormal, desconforme, desviado, disconforme, desviante
Français	déviant
Deutsch	Abweichler, Abnormaler, Perverser, Querulant, Andersdenker
Italiano	pervertito, anormale

noun thing that deviates

日本語	異常物 ijōbutsu
Deutsch	Perversität
Italiano	inusuale, anormale, insolito, atipico

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MLA

"deviant." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/deviant. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

deviant. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/deviant

Chicago

"deviant." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/deviant.

BibTeX

@misc{deviant_2026,
  title = {deviant},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/deviant},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}