Standard Lemma guide

derivative

adj · noun · 17 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.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /dɪˈɹɪvətɪv/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D ER0 IH1 V AH0 T IH0 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: D ER0 IH1 V IH0 T IH0 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Obtained by derivation; not radical, original, or fundamental.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a derivative conveyance
  • a derivative word

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Imitative of the work of someone else.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Referring to a work, such as a translation or adaptation, based on another work that may be subject to copyright restrictions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: copyright, intellectual-property, law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Having a value that depends on an underlying asset of variable value.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Something derived.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A word formed by derivation, such as stylish from style.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: root

7

noun

Meaning 7

A financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying asset; such as a warrant, an option etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A chemical derived from another.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

One of the two fundamental objects of study in calculus (the other being integration), which quantifies the rate of change, tangency, and other qualities arising from the local behavior of a function.

The derived function of f(x): the function giving the instantaneous rate of change of f; equivalently, the function giving the slope of the line tangent to the graph of f. Written f'(x) or (df)/(dx) in Leibniz's notation, ̇f(x) in Newton's notation (the latter used particularly when the independent variable is time).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: calculus, mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • The derivative of x2 is 2x; if f(x)#61;x2, then f'(x)#61;2x

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

One of the two fundamental objects of study in calculus (the other being integration), which quantifies the rate of change, tangency, and other qualities arising from the local behavior of a function.

The value of such a derived function for a given value of its independent variable: the rate of change of a function at a point in its domain.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: calculus, mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • The derivative of f(x)#61;x3 at x#61;2 is 12.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

One of the two fundamental objects of study in calculus (the other being integration), which quantifies the rate of change, tangency, and other qualities arising from the local behavior of a function.

Any of several related generalizations of the derivative: the directional derivative, partial derivative, Fréchet derivative, functional derivative, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: calculus, mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

One of the two fundamental objects of study in calculus (the other being integration), which quantifies the rate of change, tangency, and other qualities arising from the local behavior of a function.

The linear operator that maps functions to their derived functions, usually written D; the simplest differential operator.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: generally

Topics: calculus, mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

adjective satellite

Meaning 13

resulting from or employing derivation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a derivative process
  • a highly derivative prose style

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

the result of mathematical differentiation; the instantaneous change of one quantity relative to another; df(x)/dx

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: derived function, differential coefficient, differential, first derivative

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: calculation, computation, figuring, reckoning

Narrower terms: curvature, partial derivative, partial

15

noun

Meaning 15

(linguistics) a word that is derived from another word

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • `electricity' is a derivative of `electric'

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: word

16

noun

Meaning 16

a financial instrument whose value is based on another security

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: derivative instrument

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: legal document, legal instrument, official document, instrument

Narrower terms: futures contract, option

17

noun

Meaning 17

a compound obtained from, or regarded as derived from, another compound

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: compound, chemical compound

History

Etymology

From Middle French dérivatif, from Latin dērīvātus, perfect passive participle of dērīvō (“to derive”). Related to derive; by surface analysis, derive + -ative.

Across languages

Translations

167 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: произво́ден (proizvóden) — obtained by derivation
  • Catalan: derivatiu — obtained by derivation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 派生的 (páishēng de) — obtained by derivation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 衍生的 (yánshēng de) — obtained by derivation
  • Danish: afledt — obtained by derivation
  • Finnish: johdettu — obtained by derivation
  • French: dérivé — obtained by derivation
  • German: nachahmend — obtained by derivation
  • German: kopierend — obtained by derivation
  • Ancient Greek: παρώνυμος (parṓnumos) — obtained by derivation
  • Hungarian: származtatott — obtained by derivation
  • Hungarian: képzett — obtained by derivation
  • Māori: mino — obtained by derivation
  • Polish: pochodny — obtained by derivation
  • Polish: wtórny — obtained by derivation
  • Portuguese: derivativo — obtained by derivation
  • Russian: произво́дный (proizvódnyj) — obtained by derivation
  • Danish: imiterende — imitative of the work of someone else
  • Finnish: mukaileva — imitative of the work of someone else
  • Finnish: mukailtu — imitative of the work of someone else
  • Māori: tāwhaiwhai — imitative of the work of someone else
  • Danish: afledt — (copyright) referring to a work based on another work
  • Finnish: jälkiperäinen — (copyright) referring to a work based on another work
  • Finnish: muunneltu — (copyright) referring to a work based on another work
  • French: dérivé — (copyright) referring to a work based on another work
  • Finnish: johdannainen — (finance) having a value that depends on an underlying asset
  • French: dérivé — (finance) having a value that depends on an underlying asset
  • Hungarian: másodlagos — (finance) having a value that depends on an underlying asset
  • Danish: uoriginal — lacking originality
  • Finnish: tavanomainen — lacking originality
  • Albanian: derivat — something derived
  • Armenian: ածանցյալ (acancʻyal) — something derived
  • Bulgarian: произво́дно (proizvódno) — something derived
  • Chinese Mandarin: 衍生物 (yánshēngwù) — something derived
  • Czech: derivát — something derived
  • Czech: odvozenina — something derived
  • Danish: afledning — something derived
  • Dutch: afgeleide — something derived
  • Dutch: derivaat — something derived
  • Esperanto: derivaĵo — something derived
  • Estonian: tuletis — something derived
  • Finnish: johdannainen — something derived
  • Finnish: johdos — something derived
  • Finnish: derivaatti — something derived
  • French: dérivé — something derived
  • German: Ableitung — something derived
  • Hungarian: származék — something derived
  • Indonesian: turunan — something derived
  • Italian: derivato — something derived
  • Italian: derivata — something derived
  • Japanese: 派生 (hasei) — something derived
  • Polish: pochodny — something derived
  • Polish: wtórny — something derived
  • Portuguese: derivado — something derived
  • Romanian: derivat — something derived
  • Romanian: derivată — something derived
  • Russian: произво́дное (proizvódnoje) — something derived
  • Spanish: derivado — something derived
  • Turkish: türev — something derived
  • Albanian: fjalë e prejardhur — word that derives from another
  • Albanian: rrjedhojë — word that derives from another
  • Arabic: مشتقّ (muštaqq) — word that derives from another
  • Azerbaijani: törəmə — word that derives from another
  • Azerbaijani: derivativ — word that derives from another
  • Breton: deverad — word that derives from another
  • Bulgarian: дерива́т (derivát) — word that derives from another
  • Chinese Mandarin: 派生詞 /派生词 (páishēngcí) — word that derives from another
  • Czech: odvozenina — word that derives from another
  • Danish: afledning — word that derives from another
  • Dutch: afleiding — word that derives from another
  • Esperanto: derivaĵo — word that derives from another
  • Estonian: tuletis — word that derives from another
  • Finnish: johdos — word that derives from another
  • French: dérivé — word that derives from another
  • German: Ableitung — word that derives from another
  • German: Derivation — word that derives from another
  • German: Derivat — word that derives from another
  • German: Derivatum — word that derives from another
  • German: Derivativ — word that derives from another
  • German: Derivativum — word that derives from another
  • Greek: παράγωγο (parágogo) — word that derives from another
  • Hungarian: származékszó — word that derives from another
  • Italian: derivato — word that derives from another
  • Italian: derivata — word that derives from another
  • Japanese: 派生語 (haseigo) — word that derives from another
  • Korean: 파생어 (pasaeng'eo) — word that derives from another
  • Māori: takenga — word that derives from another
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avledning — word that derives from another
  • Polish: derywat — word that derives from another
  • Portuguese: derivado — word that derives from another
  • Romanian: derivat — word that derives from another
  • Russian: дерива́т (derivát) — word that derives from another
  • Russian: произво́дное сло́во (proizvódnoje slóvo) — word that derives from another
  • Spanish: derivado — word that derives from another
  • Swahili: kinyambuo — word that derives from another
  • Swedish: avledning — word that derives from another
  • Thai: ลูกคํา (lûuk-kam) — word that derives from another
  • Turkish: türev — word that derives from another
  • Volapük: defomot — word that derives from another
  • Welsh: tarddair — word that derives from another
  • Armenian: ածանցյալ (acancʻyal) — financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying instrument
  • Bulgarian: дерива́т (derivát) — financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying instrument
  • Chinese Mandarin: 衍生品 (yánshēngpǐn) — financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying instrument
  • Chinese Mandarin: 衍生產品 /衍生产品 (yǎnshēng chǎnpǐn) — financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying instrument
  • Chinese Mandarin: 衍生工具 (yǎnshēng gōngjù) — financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying instrument
  • Czech: derivát — financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying instrument
  • Finnish: johdannainen — financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying instrument
  • German: Derivat — financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying instrument
  • Hungarian: derivatíva — financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying instrument
  • Japanese: デリバティブ (deribatibu) — financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying instrument
  • Polish: instrument pochodny — financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying instrument
  • Polish: derywat — financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying instrument
  • Russian: деривати́в (derivatív) — financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying instrument
  • Spanish: derivado — financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying instrument
  • Armenian: ածանցյալ (acancʻyal) — chemical derived from another
  • Bulgarian: дерива́т (derivát) — chemical derived from another
  • Chinese Mandarin: 衍生物 (yánshēngwù) — chemical derived from another
  • Danish: derivat — chemical derived from another
  • Finnish: johdos — chemical derived from another
  • Finnish: johdannainen — chemical derived from another
  • German: Abkömmling — chemical derived from another
  • German: Derivat — chemical derived from another
  • Hungarian: származék — chemical derived from another
  • Italian: derivato — chemical derived from another
  • Italian: derivata — chemical derived from another
  • Japanese: 誘導体 (yūdotai) — chemical derived from another
  • Persian: اشتقاقی (ešteqâqi) — chemical derived from another
  • Polish: pochodna — chemical derived from another
  • Portuguese: derivado — chemical derived from another
  • Portuguese: derivativo — chemical derived from another
  • Romanian: derivat — chemical derived from another
  • Russian: произво́дное (proizvódnoje) — chemical derived from another
  • Russian: дерива́т (derivát) — chemical derived from another
  • Spanish: derivado — chemical derived from another
  • Swedish: derivat — chemical derived from another
  • Turkish: türev — chemical derived from another
  • Asturian: derivada — in analysis: derivative function
  • Bulgarian: произво́дна (proizvódna) — in analysis: derivative function
  • Catalan: derivada — in analysis: derivative function
  • French: dérivée — in analysis: derivative function
  • Galician: derivada — in analysis: derivative function
  • Italian: derivata — in analysis: derivative function
  • Portuguese: derivada — in analysis: derivative function
  • Spanish: derivada — in analysis: derivative function
  • Vietnamese: đạo hàm — in analysis: derivative function
  • Armenian: ածանցյալ (acancʻyal) — in analysis: value
  • Bulgarian: произво́дна (proizvódna) — in analysis: value
  • Chinese Cantonese: 導數 /导数 (dou6 sou3) — in analysis: value
  • Chinese Mandarin: 導數 /导数 (dǎoshù) — in analysis: value
  • Czech: derivace — in analysis: value
  • Danish: differentialkvotient — in analysis: value
  • Estonian: tuletis — in analysis: value
  • Finnish: derivaatta — in analysis: value
  • French: dérivée — in analysis: value
  • German: Ableitung — in analysis: value
  • Hebrew: נגזרת (nigzéret) — in analysis: value
  • Hungarian: derivált — in analysis: value
  • Italian: derivata — in analysis: value
  • Māori: pārōnaki — in analysis: value
  • Polish: pochodna — in analysis: value
  • Portuguese: derivada — in analysis: value
  • Russian: произво́дная (proizvódnaja) — in analysis: value
  • Slovene: odvod — in analysis: value
  • Spanish: derivada — in analysis: value
  • Swedish: derivata — in analysis: value
  • Tagalog: hango — in analysis: value
  • Turkish: türev — in analysis: value
Real reading context

derivative in complete knowledge articles