Normal deviate refers to a statistical term that signifies the number of standard deviations which a particular observation, data point, or value is away from the mean or the average value in a given dataset. Some synonyms of the term normal deviate include standardized score, z-score, standard score, and standardized deviation. These terms are often used interchangeably and have almost identical meanings. Normal deviates are often used in various fields such as finance, research, and medical studies to determine how far off a given observation or data point is from the rest of the dataset, providing critical information and insights into trends and patterns.