as in secondary
taken or created from something original or basic
a derivative style taken from earlier painters
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in derivation
something that naturally develops or is developed from something else
the whole field of industrial robots is a derivative of technology developed for the space program
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of derivative
Christina Cheddar Berk,davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
The pleasures of Normal, directed by Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Rebecca) and written by Derek Kolstad (of the John Wick movies), depend on going in with low expectations and the knowledge that the movie is adamantly derivative.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 17 Apr. 2026
Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 12 May 2026
The culprit here is a potent derivative of kratom — 7-OH — stocked at vape shops and gas stations until California’s very recent crackdown.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for derivative
Adjective
Section 232 tariffs set a general 50% rate on aluminum, steel and certain related products while some specific copper and derivative products are subject to a 25% rate, per the White House .
—Christina Cheddar Berk,davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
The pleasures of Normal, directed by Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Rebecca) and written by Derek Kolstad (of the John Wick movies), depend on going in with low expectations and the knowledge that the movie is adamantly derivative.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
In principle, the onboard computer solved differential equations, which depend not only on variables such as x and y but also on their derivatives.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 12 May 2026
The culprit here is a potent derivative of kratom — 7-OH — stocked at vape shops and gas stations until California’s very recent crackdown.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for derivative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derivative
Adjective
-
The landscape of post-secondary and next-stage education currently facing adolescents and their parents likely differs significantly from the patterns seen five or ten years ago.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
-
The medical examiner ruled ketamine, typically used as a surgical anesthetic, was the primary cause of death, and drowning was a secondary cause.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
The token is a reference rather than a derivation of the data.—
Ed Leavens,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Five years after he was killed, in response to political unrest, the government increased the derivation fund to 13 percent for oil-producing states.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While Apple shares were up more than 4% in trading Friday, all of the derivate plays were trading in the red.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
1 May 2026
-
With unique enough lore and a unique style, Saxon avoids making a derivate fable.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Derivative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derivative. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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