Standard Lemma guide

derivation

noun · 21 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌdɛ.ɹɪˈveɪ.ʃ(ə)n/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: D EH2 R AH0 V EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A leading or drawing off of water from a stream or source.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of receiving anything from a source; the act of procuring an effect from a cause, means, or condition, as profits from capital, conclusions or opinions from evidence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The act of tracing origin or descent; an instance thereof (for example, an etymology).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: genealogy

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • the derivation of a word from an Indo-European root

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The state or method of being derived; the relation of origin when established or asserted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

That from which a thing is derived.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

That which is derived; a derivative; the result of a deduction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

The process of deriving one thing from another, especially in logic; a deduction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

The process of deriving one thing from another, especially in logic; a deduction.

A formal proof: a sequence of statements, each of which is logically entailed by those preceding (with respect to some collection of rules of inference), the initial statements being taken as axioms.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

The process of application of the derivative operator to a function, yielding another function called the derived function of the first.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: calculus, mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

An algebraic generalization of the derivative operator (from its natural setting in the ring of real-valued functions) to a general associative algebra over a field. Formally, (given an algebra A over a field K) a K-linear endomorphism that satisfies Leibnitz's Law.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: differential algebra

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

An algebraic generalization of the derivative operator (from its natural setting in the ring of real-valued functions) to a general associative algebra over a field. Formally, (given an algebra A over a field K) a K-linear endomorphism that satisfies Leibnitz's Law.

Any of several generalizations of this notion: a Hasse–Schmidt derivation, a graded derivation, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: differential algebra

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

A drawing of humors or fluids from one part of the body to another, to relieve or lessen a morbid process.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, historical, uncountable

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

the act of deriving something or obtaining something from a source or origin

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: act, deed, human action, human activity

15

noun

Meaning 15

drawing off water from its main channel as for irrigation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: drawing, drawing off

16

noun

Meaning 16

drawing of fluid or inflammation away from a diseased part of the body

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: drawing, drawing off

17

noun

Meaning 17

inherited properties shared with others of your bloodline

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ancestry, lineage, filiation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inheritance, hereditary pattern

Narrower terms: origin, descent, extraction, pedigree, bloodline

18

noun

Meaning 18

a line of reasoning that shows how a conclusion follows logically from accepted propositions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inference, illation

19

noun

Meaning 19

(historical linguistics) an explanation of the historical origins of a word or phrase

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: deriving, etymologizing

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: explanation, account

20

noun

Meaning 20

the source or origin from which something derives (i.e. comes or issues)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he prefers shoes of Italian derivation
  • music of Turkish derivation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: beginning, origin, root, rootage, source

21

noun

Meaning 21

(descriptive linguistics) the process whereby new words are formed from existing words or bases by affixation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • `singer' from `sing' or `undo' from `do' are examples of derivations

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: linguistic process

Narrower terms: eponymy

History

Etymology

From Middle English derivacioun, borrowed from Middle French dérivation, from Latin dērīvātiō, dērīvātiōnem. Morphologically derive + -ation.

Across languages

Translations

86 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: деривация (derivacija) — leading or drawing off of water
  • Finnish: juoksutus — leading or drawing off of water
  • Italian: deviazione — leading or drawing off of water
  • Romanian: derivație — leading or drawing off of water
  • Swedish: avledning — leading or drawing off of water
  • Bulgarian: извеждане (izveždane) — act of receiving anything from a source
  • Czech: odvození — act of receiving anything from a source
  • Finnish: johtaminen — act of receiving anything from a source
  • Hungarian: kinyerés — act of receiving anything from a source
  • Hungarian: származtatás — act of receiving anything from a source
  • Italian: derivazione — act of receiving anything from a source
  • Bulgarian: етимология (etimologija) — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Catalan: derivació — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Chinese Mandarin: 派生 (pàishēng) — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Danish: afledning — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Esperanto: derivado — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Finnish: johtaminen — act of tracing origin or descent
  • German: Herleiten — act of tracing origin or descent
  • German: Herleitung — act of tracing origin or descent
  • German: Ableitung — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Hungarian: származtatás — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Italian: etimologia — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Japanese: 派生 (hasei) — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Māori: takenga — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Mongolian: гарал үүсэл (garal üüsel) — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avledning — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avleiing — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: avleiing — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Russian: происхожде́ние (proisxoždénije) — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Spanish: derivación — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Swedish: avledning — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Swedish: härledning — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Venetan: derivasion — act of tracing origin or descent
  • Albanian: ndajshtesim — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Azerbaijani: törəmə — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Azerbaijani: derivativ — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Danish: afledning — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Danish: derivation — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Dutch: afleiding — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Dutch: derivatie — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Georgian: წარმოქმნა (c̣armokmna) — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Georgian: სიტყვაწარმოქმნა (siṭq̇vac̣armokmna) — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Georgian: წარმოება (c̣armoeba) — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Georgian: სიტყვაწარმოება (siṭq̇vac̣armoeba) — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Georgian: დერივაცია (derivacia) — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Hungarian: deriváció — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Hungarian: képzés — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Hungarian: szóképzés — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avledning — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avleiing — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Norwegian Bokmål: derivasjon — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: avleiing — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: derivasjon — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Polish: derywacja — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Swedish: avledning — forming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • Finnish: johtaminen — state or method of being derived
  • Finnish: johto-oppi — state or method of being derived
  • Danish: afledning — that from which sthg is derived
  • Finnish: kanta — that from which sthg is derived
  • Hungarian: eredet — that from which sthg is derived
  • Hungarian: kiindulás — that from which sthg is derived
  • Danish: afledning — that which is derived
  • Danish: derivat — that which is derived
  • Finnish: johdos — that which is derived
  • Hungarian: származék — that which is derived
  • Māori: takenga — that which is derived
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avledning — that which is derived
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avleiing — that which is derived
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: avleiing — that which is derived
  • Polish: derywacja — that which is derived
  • Swedish: avledning — that which is derived
  • Bulgarian: диференциране (diferencirane) — math: operation of deducing
  • Czech: derivace — math: operation of deducing
  • Dutch: afleiding — math: operation of deducing
  • Finnish: johtaminen — math: operation of deducing
  • Georgian: გაწარმოება (gac̣armoeba) — math: operation of deducing
  • German: Derivation — math: operation of deducing
  • Hungarian: deriválás — math: operation of deducing
  • Norwegian Bokmål: derivasjon — math: operation of deducing
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: derivasjon — math: operation of deducing
  • Romanian: derivare — math: operation of deducing
  • Slovak: derivácia — math: operation of deducing
  • Spanish: derivada — math: operation of deducing
  • Spanish: derivación — math: operation of deducing
  • Swedish: derivering — math: operation of deducing
  • Swedish: härledning — math: operation of deducing
Real reading context

derivation in complete knowledge articles