Noun

(en noun)

The act of deviating; a wandering from the way; variation from the common way, from an established rule, etc.; departure, as from the right course or the path of duty.

The state or result of having deviated; a transgression; an act of sin; an error; an offense.

(contract law) The voluntary and unnecessary departure of a ship from, or delay in, the regular and usual course of the specific voyage insured, thus releasing the underwriters from their responsibility.

(Absolute Deviation) The shortest distance between the center of the target and the point where a projectile hits or bursts.

(statistics) For interval variables and ratio variables, a measure of difference between the observed value and the mean.

(metrology) The signed difference between a value and its reference value.

Noun

(en noun)

The act of observing, and the fact of being observed.

*

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=But Miss Thorn relieved the situation by laughing aloud,

* {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April, author=(Jeremy Bernstein)

, volume=100, issue=2, page=146, magazine=(American Scientist) , title= A Palette of Particles , passage=The physics of elementary particles in the 20th century was distinguished by the observation of particles whose existence had been predicted by theorists sometimes decades earlier.}}

The act of noting and recording some event; or the record of such noting.

A remark or comment.

* Shakespeare

That's a foolish observation .

* Alexander Pope

To observations which ourselves we make / We grow more partial for the observer's sake.

A judgement based on observing.

Performance of what is prescribed; adherence in practice; observance.

* Jeremy Taylor

We are to procure dispensation or leave to omit the observation of it in such circumstances.