derive

American  

[dih-rahyv] / dɪˈraɪv /

verb (used with object)

• derives,
  present (3rd person singular)
• derived,
  past participle,  past
• deriving
  present participle

1. to receive or obtain from a source or origin (usually followed byfrom ).

   Synonyms:

   net, reap, gather, glean, attain, gain

2. to trace from a source or origin.

   English words derived from German.

3. to reach or obtain by reasoning; deduce; infer.

4. Chemistry. to produce or obtain (a substance) from another.

5. 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.”

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verb (used without object)

• derives,
  present (3rd person singular)
• derived,
  past participle,  past
• deriving
  present participle

1. to come from a source or origin; originate (often followed byfrom ).

derive British  

/ dɪˈraɪv /

verb

1. (usually foll by from) to draw or be drawn (from) in source or origin; trace or be traced

2. (tr) to obtain by reasoning; deduce; infer

3. (tr) to trace the source or development of

4. (usually foll by from) to produce or be produced (from) by a chemical reaction

5. maths to obtain (a function) by differentiation

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• deriver
  noun
• prederive
  verb (used with object)
• derivable
  adjective
• nonderivable
  adjective
• underivable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• deriving
  present
• derived
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• derive
  simple
• derives
  simple
• have derived
  perfect
• has derived
  perfect
• am deriving
  progressive
• are deriving
  progressive
• is deriving
  progressive
• have been deriving
  perfect progressive
• has been deriving
  perfect progressive

Past

• derived
  simple
• had derived
  perfect
• was deriving
  progressive
• were deriving
  progressive
• had been deriving
  perfect progressive

Future

• will derive
  simple
• will have derived
  perfect
• will be deriving
  progressive
• will have been deriving
  perfect progressive

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

Explanation

If you want to talk about something that comes from something else, but you want to sound sophisticated and maybe financial or scientific, use derive, like so: That scent? It's derived from a solution of roses boiled with toothpicks. The word derive derives from (see how we did that?) the Latin rivus or stream, as in water. That image of the stream may help you remember the meaning of derive; you may picture tracing tiny streams back to their main source. Derive is a verb, as you can see, but it's often in the news in the noun form derivative: something that is derived from something else, as in "juice is a derivative of an orange."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

derive derives derived deriving

To repeat what I emphasized above, however, these below-average chances derive solely from the stock market’s trailing two-year returns.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

Some derive from history, as when he relates the lengthy process by which Charles Darwin decided whether or not to propose marriage to Emma Wedgwood.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

While Europe may derive some satisfaction from moderate growth of 3%, alarm bells will be ringing at who is benefiting.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

This is ultimately due to the fact that British prime ministers derive power from commanding the confidence of the House of Commons, where Labour enjoys a massive majority.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

Your chances of a 4 coming up only twice are a little harder to calculate unless you use the binomial probability distribution mentioned in Chapter 1, which I’ll derive again in this context.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

He derives energy from his students and from his four daughters, ages 14 to 20.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

"The Fifa World Cup is the pinnacle of global football and derives its strength from the participation of all Confederations and the world's leading football nations," it said.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Sao Tome and Principe derives most of its resources from agriculture, particularly the production of cocoa and coffee, as well as vanilla and pepper.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

The company is based in Seattle and incorporated in Delaware but derives most of its revenue from South Korea.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

Montaigne’s thinking here derives from his reading of Lucretius.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

The fifth episode’s title, “Riches of Embarrassment,” is derived from a halftime rallying speech Ted delivers to soften the sting of Alice calling their first-half performance embarrassing.

From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026

It was derived from the people who waded across Texas’ Rio Grande into the U.S., but it was sometimes used interchangeably with any Latino workers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

However, in a later post on X, OpenAI said "while unlikely, we cannot rule out that de-identified data derived from their usage of our products helped improve our models."

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

For the first time, they derived an exact formula for the phenomenon by using an unconventional mathematical approach.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

“Soviet” is derived from a Russian word for “assembly” or “council.”

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Physicists have spent decades trying to reproduce the process with mathematical equations, but deriving the necessary formulas proved exceptionally difficult.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

The sticky part is deciding how the benefits deriving from pathogens are defined and then shared, how the system is governed, and how equity is guaranteed.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

Since many of our waking hours are spent on the job, Ms. Vanderkam also focuses on deriving more satisfaction from work to avoid “wishing time away.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

A year ago, 13% of S&P 500 index constituents noted benefits deriving from AI adoption.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 27, 2026

Ben and Mary Anne paced the halls of Calhoun High together, deriving strength and comfort from each other’s desolation.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• acquire
• assume
• collect
• determine
• develop
• evolve
• extract
• glean
• infer
• obtain
• receive