derivative

[ dih-riv-uh-tiv ]
See synonyms for derivative on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. not original; secondary.

noun
  1. something that has been derived.

  2. Also called derived form .Grammar. a form that has undergone derivation from another, as atomic from atom.

  1. Chemistry. a substance or compound obtained from, or regarded as derived from, another substance or compound.

  2. 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.

  3. a financial contract whose value derives from the value of underlying stocks, bonds, currencies, commodities, etc.

Origin of derivative

1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English derivatif, from Late Latin dērīvātīvus, equivalent to Latin dērīvāt(us) (see derivation) + -īvus suffix; see -ive
  • 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

British Dictionary definitions for derivative

derivative

/ (dɪˈrɪvətɪv) /


adjective
  1. resulting from derivation; derived

  2. based on or making use of other sources; not original or primary

  1. copied from others, esp slavishly; plagiaristic

noun
  1. a term, idea, etc, that is based on or derived from another in the same class

  2. a word derived from another word

  1. chem a compound that is formed from, or can be regarded as formed from, a structurally related compound: chloroform is a derivative of methane

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

derivative

[ dĭ-rĭvə-tĭv ]


  1. 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.