deviance
deviance · deviances
Actions or behaviors that violate formal and informal cultural norms such as laws and…Actions or behaviors that violate formal and informal cultural norms such as laws and customs.
/ˈdiːvɪəns/
» Emile Durkheim argued that deviance was necessary for a society to function.
Meaning
2 senses(countable, uncountable)Actions or behaviors that violate formal and informal cultural norms such as laws and customs.
Socrates was sentenced to death for his deviance.
(countable, uncountable)A person or thing that differs from the expected.
More definitions
- deviate behavior
- a state or condition markedly different from the norm
Examples
1 sentencesEmile Durkheim argued that deviance was necessary for a society to function.
Translations
2 languagesOrigin
Borrowed from French déviance.Borrowed from French déviance.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: deviancesSynonyms
4 synonymsClose in meaning
- deviate behavior:deviation
- a state or condition markedly different from the norm:aberranceaberrancyaberration
Word family
4 related wordsDerivedphenodeviance
Lessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable