derive
Americanverb (used with object)
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to receive or obtain from a source or origin (usually followed byfrom ).
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to trace from a source or origin.
English words derived from German.
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Chemistry. to produce or obtain (a substance) from another.
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Grammar. to create (a new linguistic form) by adding affixes to or changing the shape of a root or base.
The word “runner” is derived from “run.”
verb (used without object)
verb
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(usually foll by from) to draw or be drawn (from) in source or origin; trace or be traced
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(tr) to obtain by reasoning; deduce; infer
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(tr) to trace the source or development of
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(usually foll by from) to produce or be produced (from) by a chemical reaction
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maths to obtain (a function) by differentiation
Other Word Forms
- derivable adjective
- deriver noun
- nonderivable adjective
- prederive verb (used with object)
- underivable adjective
Etymology
Origin of derive
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English diriven, deriven “to flow, draw from, spring,” from Anglo-French, Old French deriver, from Latin dērīvāre “to lead off,” equivalent to dē- de- + rīv(us) “a stream” + -āre infinitive suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This is because both credit exports and NDCs are derived from a country’s national carbon inventory.
While that exact dollar figure isn’t disclosed, it can be derived from Meta’s statement of shareholders’ equity.
Starting in 1886, a series of games derived from the Horatio Alger books—with titles like From Log Cabin to the White House—caught the public’s fancy.
These wealth figures are based on estimates of assets that they hold in their own names—whether or not that was derived from family wealth or business.
For years, purchases made through Amazon have accounted for a larger percentage of overall U.S. retail sales than Walmart, but its revenue derived from retailing was smaller.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.