derivative
not original; secondary.
something that has been derived.
Also called derived form .Grammar. a form that has undergone derivation from another, as atomic from atom.
Chemistry. a substance or compound obtained from, or regarded as derived from, another substance or compound.
Also called differential quotient; especially British, differential coefficient .Mathematics. the limit of the ratio of the increment of a function to the increment of a variable in it, as the latter tends to 0; the instantaneous change of one quantity with respect to another, as velocity, which is the instantaneous change of distance with respect to time.: Compare first derivative, second derivative.
a financial contract whose value derives from the value of underlying stocks, bonds, currencies, commodities, etc.
Origin of derivative
1- Sometimes der·i·vate [der-uh-veyt] /ˈdɛr əˌveɪt/ .
Other words from derivative
- de·riv·a·tive·ly, adverb
- de·riv·a·tive·ness, noun
- non·de·riv·a·tive, adjective, noun
- non·de·riv·a·tive·ly, adverb
- un·de·riv·a·tive, adjective
- un·de·riv·a·tive·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use derivative in a sentence
On the contrary, there are distinct reasons for thinking that the Vertebrate mouth is a derivate of the blastopore.
Ueber die physiologische Wirkung des p-amido-phenol u. einiger Derivate desselben.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection | Alexander Wynter Blyth
British Dictionary definitions for derivative
/ (dɪˈrɪvətɪv) /
resulting from derivation; derived
based on or making use of other sources; not original or primary
copied from others, esp slavishly; plagiaristic
a term, idea, etc, that is based on or derived from another in the same class
a word derived from another word
chem a compound that is formed from, or can be regarded as formed from, a structurally related compound: chloroform is a derivative of methane
maths
Also called: differential coefficient, first derivative the change of a function, f(x), with respect to an infinitesimally small change in the independent variable, x; the limit of [f(a + Δ x)–f(a)] / Δ x, at x = a, as the increment, Δ x, tends to 0. Symbols: df(x)/d x, f′(x), Df(x): the derivative of x n is nx n–1
the rate of change of one quantity with respect to another: velocity is the derivative of distance with respect to time
finance a financial instrument, such as a futures contract or option, the price of which is largely determined by the commodity, currency, share price, interest rate, etc, to which it is linked
psychoanal an activity that represents the expression of hidden impulses and desires by channelling them into socially acceptable forms
Derived forms of derivative
- derivatively, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for derivative
[ dĭ-rĭv′ə-tĭv ]
In calculus, the slope of the tangent line to a curve at a particular point on the curve. Since a curve represents a function, its derivative can also be thought of as the rate of change of the corresponding function at the given point. Derivatives are computed using differentiation.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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