derivation

American  

[der-uh-vey-shuhn] / ˌdɛr əˈveɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or fact of deriving or of being derived.

2. the process of deriving.

3. the source from which something is derived; origin.

4. something that is or has been derived; derivative.

5. Mathematics.

   1. development of a theorem.

   2. differentiation.

6. Grammar.

   1. the process or device of adding affixes to or changing the shape of a base, thereby assigning the result to a form class that may undergo further inflection or participate in different syntactic constructions, as in forming service from serve, song from sing, and hardness from hard (contrasted with inflection).

   2. the systematic description of such processes in a given language.

7. Linguistics.

   1. a set of forms, including the initial form, intermediate forms, and final form, showing the successive stages in the generation of a sentence as the rules of a generative grammar are applied to it.

   2. the process by which such a set of forms is derived.

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derivation British  

/ ˌdɛrɪˈveɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of deriving or state of being derived

2. the source, origin, or descent of something, such as a word

3. something derived; a derivative

4. 1. the process of deducing a mathematical theorem, formula, etc, as a necessary consequence of a set of accepted statements

   2. this sequence of statements

   3. the operation of finding a derivative

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Other Word Forms

• derivational
  adjective
• derivationally
  adverb
• prederivation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of derivation

1375–1425; late Middle English derivacioun < Latin dērīvātiōn- (stem of dērīvātiō ) a turning away, equivalent to dērīvāt ( us ) (past participle of dērīvāre; see derive, -ate ¹) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Derivation is fancy word for the origin or root of something. Derivation is most often used in reference to abstract concepts — such as words, names or ideas. The derivation of the word derivation is the Latin derivationem, meaning "a leading off or turning away from." For the origin of more physical things, we tend to use root or source: "Stanley wasn't looking for the derivation of the Nile; he was looking for its source."

Example Sentences

“Puberty adds strength that prepubescence does not. And since the derivation of it was ‘100 men versus a gorilla’ ...

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2025

Now, Vijay Balasubramanian, a gravitational theorist at the University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues say they have come up with a derivation that works for realistic black holes.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 28, 2024

Moreover, the derivation of the organizational name was, and remains, elusive.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 18, 2024

Research investigating the effect of sleep derivation on more complex types of thinking has shown somewhat mixed results.

From Salon • Aug. 17, 2023

I knew not his word, and hesitated; he, perceiving my fault, explained its meaning and derivation while my mother begged for water.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson