deviant
One who strays
Deviant describes someone or something that departs from accepted norms or standards, particularly in behavior or beliefs.
As a noun, a deviant is a person who differs markedly from what society considers normal or acceptable.
The word carries negative connotations, often implying moral disapproval: The study examined how communities label certain members as deviants.
In technical contexts like statistics, deviant simply means differing from an average or expected value without any judgment attached.
Violating accepted boundaries
- forbiddenNot allowed
- perverseStubbornly unreasonable
- immoralContrary to ethical principles
- indecentOffensive to accepted standards
illicit · depraved · obscene · sinful · perverted · shameful · scandalous · profane
Departure from the expected
- abnormalDeviating from typical
- atypicalNot conforming to type
- irregularDeviating from normal patterns
- unusualNot often encountered
divergent · anomalous · mutation · variant · malformation · distortion · peculiar · unorthodox
Unconventional in character
- maverickIndependent-minded rule-breaker
- bohemianArtistic nonconformist type
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
- individualistOne who values autonomy
unorthodox · quirky · unconventional · original · contrarian · beatnik · hipster · avant-garde
Pushed to society's edges
- outcastShunned, rejected person
- pariahRejected, shunned person
- ostracizedExcluded from a group
- alienatedMade distant or hostile
excluded · misfit · loner · fringe · peripheral · stigmatized · isolated · rejected
Peculiar person, dismissively
- freakAbnormal deviation from typical
- sickoSlang for deranged person
- pervertCorrupt or distort
- creepStealthy, slow movement
psycho · deranged · twisted · disturbed · degenerate · fiend · predator · offender
Opposer of established systems
- radicalRoot-indicating symbol
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- subversiveSeeking to undermine authority
- insurgentOne who revolts
renegade · anarchist · agitator · mutineer · provocateur · troublemaker · insurrectionist · defiant
transgressive
Violating accepted boundaries
indecent · illicit · depraved · obscene · sinful · perverted · shameful · scandalous · profane · aberrant
anomaly
Departure from the expected
unusual · divergent · anomalous · mutation · variant · malformation · distortion · peculiar · unorthodox · oddity
eccentric
Unconventional in character
- maverickIndependent-minded rule-breaker
- bohemianArtistic nonconformist type
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
individualist · unorthodox · quirky · unconventional · original · contrarian · beatnik · hipster · avant-garde · counterculture
marginalized
Pushed to society's edges
- outcastShunned, rejected person
- pariahRejected, shunned person
- ostracizedExcluded from a group
alienated · excluded · misfit · loner · fringe · peripheral · stigmatized · isolated · rejected · shunned
weirdo
Peculiar person, dismissively
creep · psycho · deranged · twisted · disturbed · degenerate · fiend · predator · offender · monster
dissident
Opposer of established systems
- radicalRoot-indicating symbol
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- subversiveSeeking to undermine authority
insurgent · renegade · anarchist · agitator · mutineer · provocateur · troublemaker · insurrectionist · defiant · disobedient
- Anomaliesanomaly, aberration, irregularity, oddity, peculiarity
- behaviorshabit, aggressive, agitation, conduct, passive
- Odditiescuriosity, curio, unusual, odd, strange
- strangenessodd, weird, strange, bizarre, peculiar
- oddballsoddball, eccentric, weirdo, freak, misfit
- unconventionalunconventional, nontraditional, nonconformist, unorthodox, offbeat
deviantconformist
One following accepted norms
normal · conventional · orthodox · mainstream · straight
- sexual devianceAtypical erotic interests
- standard deviationSpread around the mean
- deviated septumMisaligned nasal partition
- deviant behaviorNorm-violating actions
- sexual deviantOne with taboo desires
deviate, deviation, deviance, deviating, deviated, deviates, deviations, deviancy, deviants