də̇ˈrīv, dēˈ- verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English deriven to come (as from a source), receive (as from a source), divert (as water) into a different channel, from Middle French deriver, from Latin derivare to divert (as water) into a different channel, derive (one word from another), from de- + -rivare (from rivus stream, brook) — more at rise
transitive verb
1.
a. : to take or receive especially from a source
an English loanword derived from German
the river derives its name from an Indian chief
the mills derive their power from the falls
he derives much of his income from investments
b. : to obtain or gain through heredity or by transmission from environment or circumstance
he derived his enthusiasm for the theater from his father
deriving certain dignity from battles fought and won — Richard Llewellyn
the word girl is derived from Middle English girle
c. : to acquire, get, or draw (as something pleasant or beneficial)
the satisfaction derived from a sense of sharing in creative activities — John Dewey
the mutual benefits that nations can derive from trading which flows in both directions — Lamp
d. : adapt
a movie derived from a novel
e. : to obtain (a substance) actually or theoretically from a parent substance (as by substitution or hydrolysis) — compare derivative II 4
2. archaic : to divert (as water) from its source or normal course
3. : to gather or arrive at (as a conclusion) by reasoning and observation:
a. : to obtain inductively
ideas derived from nature
: infer
b. : deduce
propositions derived from axioms
4. archaic : to pass along : transmit
5. archaic : to cause to come
inconvenience that will be derived to them from stopping all imports — Thomas Jefferson
6. : to trace the origin, descent, or derivation of
we can derive English chauffeur from French
derive toaster from toast
an early theory derived speech from involuntary cries
7. : to be descended or formed from
all were probably derived from the same ancestral stock — M.F.A.Montagu
: be a derivative of
the plural is normally derived from the singular
intransitive verb
1. archaic : descend 3
2. : to have or take origin : originate : stem , emanate : come as a derivative — usually used with from
all knowledge derives from sensations — J.H.Randall
half of his income derives from wheat
the social stratum from which he derived — Carl Van Doren
stories deriving from his experiences in Africa
Synonyms: see spring