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derivative

 [dih-riv-uh-tiv]   Example Sentences Origin

de·riv·a·tive

   [dih-riv-uh-tiv]
adjective
1.
derived.
2.
not original; secondary.
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noun
3.
something derived.
4.
Also called derived form. Grammar. a form that has undergone derivation from another, as atomic from atom.
5.
Chemistry. a substance or compound obtained from, or regarded as derived from, another substance or compound.
6.
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.
7.
a financial contract whose value derives from the value of underlying stocks, bonds, currencies, commodities, etc.

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Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English derivatif < Late Latin dērīvātīvus, equivalent to Latin dērīvāt(us) (see derivation) + -īvus -ive

Related forms
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
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un·de·riv·a·tive·ly, adverb
COLLAPSE
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To derivative
Example Sentences
  • The second derivative, they say, is turning positive.
  • It does not have to be a replica, it's called a derivative.
  • Someone might criticize that - say that it's derivative.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
derivative (dɪˈrɪvətɪv)
 
—adj
1.  resulting from derivation; derived
2.  based on or making use of other sources; not original or primary
3.  copied from others, esp slavishly; plagiaristic
 
—n
4.  a term, idea, etc, that is based on or derived from another in the same class
5.  a word derived from another word
6.  chem a compound that is formed from, or can be regarded as formed from, a structurally related compound: chloroform is a derivative of methane
7.  maths
 a.  differential coefficient, Also called: 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 + Δx)--f(a)]/Δx, at x = a, as the increment, Δx, tends to 0. Symbols: df(x)/dx, f′(x), Df(x): the derivative of xn is nxn--1
 b.  the rate of change of one quantity with respect to another: velocity is the derivative of distance with respect to time
8.  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
9.  psychoanal an activity that represents the expression of hidden impulses and desires by channelling them into socially acceptable forms
 
de'rivatively
 
—adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

derivative
1520s, n. and adj., from Fr. derivatif (15c.), from L. derivativus, from pp. stem of derivare (see derive). Mathematical sense is from 1670s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

derivative de·riv·a·tive (dĭ-rĭv'ə-tĭv)
n.

  1. Something obtained or produced by modification of something else.

  2. A chemical compound that may be produced from another compound of similar structure in one or more steps.

adj.
Resulting from, characterized by, or employing derivation.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
derivative   (dĭ-rĭv'ə-tĭv)  Pronunciation Key 
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 © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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