derived
Americanadjective
-
received, obtained, or arising from a particular source or in a particular way.
The relationship between the root word and the derived form is often metaphorical.
With ingredients that are 100% naturally derived, we can proudly say our lotion is vegan, cruelty-free, and ecofriendly.
-
dependent on or generated by something more basic; secondary.
The demand for a piece of capital equipment is a derived demand, as it stems directly from the demand for whatever it helps to produce.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of derived
Explanation
When something is derived from something else, it is made from that. Ham is derived from pork, and the active ingredient in aspirin is derived from the bark of the willow tree. It's best to use derived when you can still see the parts of the original in something. Some people believe baseball was derived from the game of cricket. Both games involve batting and runners, but cricket was around first. Derived is also the past tense of the verb, derive, which can mean to figure out or get. After six tries, Lucia derived the answer to the difficult math problem.
Vocabulary lists containing derived
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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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.
Scientists have previously investigated oils produced from Hinoki leaves and branches, but oils derived specifically from the roots have received far less attention.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
But she was treated with heparin, an anticoagulant derived from intestinal tissue of pigs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
She also recommended treatments utilizing exosomes, vesicles derived from stem cells, which purport to combat anxiety among other menopause symptoms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Researchers used those samples to grow organoids, lab-grown tissues derived from patients, allowing them to investigate the disease directly in human cells.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
Subtle and vastly important chemical changes are constantly in progress, converting elements derived from air and water into forms suitable for use by plants.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
