first derivative

noun

Mathematics.

1. the derivative of a function.

   Velocity is the first derivative of distance with respect to time.

Word History and Origins

Origin of first derivative¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

Below is a chart of the average wing price at each wing quantity — the first derivative of the previous graph.

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Tulu and Bulu were no longer recognizably identical—but they shared the first derivative of identity.

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For the mathematically inclined, it’s the first derivative of stimulus that is going to zero, not stimulus itself.

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But that’s easily enough solved by looking at the first derivative: places that have growing GDP are notably happier than places with static or falling.

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However, even a stable second derivative could attach to a positive first derivative, which itself represents the very essence of momentum.

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