derive

verb

de·rive | \ di-ˈrīv

, dē-\

derived; deriving

Definition of derive

1a : to take, receive, or obtain especially from a specified source is said to derive its name from a Native American word meaning "wild onion"

b chemistry : to obtain (a chemical substance) actually or theoretically from a parent substance Petroleum is derived from coal tar.

2 : infer, deduce what was derived from their observations

3 archaic : bring … inconvenience that will be derived to them from stopping all imports …— Thomas Jefferson

4 : to trace the derivation of We can derive the word "chauffeur" from French.

intransitive verb

: to have or take origin : come as a derivative The novel's appeal derives entirely from the complexity of its characters.

Other Words from derive Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about derive

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Choose the Right Synonym for derive

spring, arise, rise, originate, derive, flow, issue, emanate, proceed, stem mean to come up or out of something into existence. spring implies rapid or sudden emerging. an idea that springs to mind arise and rise may both convey the fact of coming into existence or notice but rise often stresses gradual growth or ascent. new questions have arisen slowly rose to prominence originate implies a definite source or starting point. the fire originated in the basement derive implies a prior existence in another form. the holiday derives from an ancient Roman feast flow adds to spring a suggestion of abundance or ease of inception. words flowed easily from her pen issue suggests emerging from confinement through an outlet. blood issued from the cut emanate applies to the coming of something immaterial (such as a thought) from a source. reports emanating from the capital proceed stresses place of origin, derivation, parentage, or logical cause. advice that proceeds from the best of intentions stem implies originating by dividing or branching off from something as an outgrowth or subordinate development. industries stemming from space research

Examples of derive in a Sentence

The river derives its name from a Native American tribe. Much of the book's appeal derives from the personality of its central character.

Recent Examples on the Web

Delhi’s anti-satellite weapon is almost certainly derived from PAD. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "India Smashes Satellite in a Surprise Test of a New Space Weapon System," 28 Mar. 2019 The spacecraft going up on this flight are all derived from CubeSats, a type of standardized satellite that’s made of 10-centimeter cubes. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "Small satellite launcher Rocket Lab is poised to send up its first batch of spacecraft for NASA," 12 Dec. 2018 The Pentagon said Wednesday that the letters sent there didn’t contain ricin, as initially believed, but instead contained castor seeds, from which the poison is derived. — Nancy A. Youssef, WSJ, "Letters to Pentagon Held Castor Seeds, Not Ricin; Utah Man Is Held," 3 Oct. 2018 Tea tree oil is derived from the leaves of an Australian tree called Narrow-Leaf Paperbark. — Ashley Weatherford, The Cut, "A Guide to Megan Markle’s Favorite Anti-Acne Oil," 13 July 2018 Most of the profits are derived from the state, where the tax burden is not as cumbersome. — Kathleen Gray, Detroit Free Press, "5 things I found surprising about legal marijuana in Colorado," 12 July 2018 The bulk of her income is derived from Kylie Cosmetics, best known for its lip kits. — Jayme Deerwester, USA TODAY, "Kylie Jenner, worth $900 million, on track to be youngest self-made billionaire by age 21," 11 July 2018 The royalties are derived from digital radio services like Pandora, SiriusXM and the non-interactive radio functions of Spotify, among others, which were paid to SoundExchange when his songs were streamed by those services. — Dan Rys, Billboard, "Glassnote Files Complaint to Resolve Contract Dispute With Donald Glover Over $700K in Royalties," 10 July 2018 Data for the national report are derived from 2016 and 2017 federal statistical agencies and include yearly changes to track trends over time. — Fiza Pirani, ajc, "For first time since 2012, Georgia isn’t one of the 10 worst states for children," 28 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'derive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near derive

derivative hybrid

derivative of a function

Statistics for derive

Last Updated

15 Apr 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for derive

The first known use of derive was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for derive

derive

verb

English Language Learners Definition of derive

: to take or get (something) from (something else)

: to have something as a source : to come from something

See the full definition for derive in the English Language Learners Dictionary

derive

verb

de·rive | \ di-ˈrīv

derived; deriving

Kids Definition of derive

1 : to take or get from a source I derive great pleasure from reading.

2 : to come from a certain source Some modern holidays derive from ancient traditions.

3 : to trace the origin or source of We derive the word “cherry” from a French word.

derive

verb

de·rive | \ di-ˈrīv

derived; deriving

Medical Definition of derive

transitive verb

: to take, receive, or obtain, especially from a specified source specifically : to obtain (a chemical substance) actually or theoretically from a parent substance

intransitive verb

: to have or take origin