deviance

Borrowed from French déviance.

• IPA^(key): /ˈdiːvɪəns/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

deviance (countable and uncountable, plural deviances)

1. (sociology) Actions or behaviors that violate formal and informal cultural norms such as laws and customs.

   Socrates was sentenced to death for his deviance.

2. A person or thing that differs from the expected. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

• deviant
• deviation

• cevadine