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derive

verb
de·​rive | \ di-ˈrīv How to pronounce derive (audio) , dē-\
derived; deriving

Definition of derive

transitive verb

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.
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Other Words from derive

deriver noun

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

 But put simply: The familiar machinations with which the majority of successful coaches operate in the NFL today can almost all be derived from the behavior of Brown. — The Si Staff, SI.com, "100 Figures Who Shaped the NFL’s First Century," 28 Aug. 2019 Truly random seed numbers can be derived from the unpredictability of physical processes itself—like radioactive decay—or through the imprecision of taking exacting measurements (like recording the temperature to ten decimal places). — Amanda Shendruk, Quartz, "Cloudflare uses lava lamps to generate a fundamental resource: Randomness," 20 Aug. 2019 California’s unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,100 households in the state. — Margot Roosevelt, Los Angeles Times, "California job growth is outpacing the nation’s," 16 Aug. 2019 What can be derived from all this is that almost none of what made Joe Biden attractive to Barack Obama as a vice president in 2008 is likely to prove helpful to the candidate in 2020, and that much of it is likely to prove encumbering to him. — Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, "Joe Biden, Designated White Guy," 13 Aug. 2019 Millions of pieces of weather data can be derived from these technologies. — Jason Samenow, BostonGlobe.com, "ClimaCell weather app alerts when it’s about to rain, down to the minute, around the world," 12 Aug. 2019 Terpenes, another class of non-psychoactive compounds that can be derived from cannabis, are also touted as an ingredient in anti-stress products. — Maura Judkis, Twin Cities, "A dozen stress-relief snacks, tinctures and teas later, and she’s still anxious," 3 Aug. 2019 On that note, many collagen drinks are not vegan, because the collagen can be derived from cows. — Maura Judkis, Washington Post, "10 food trends you’ll soon be seeing everywhere in 2019," 26 June 2019 Traditionally, those who espouse the natural law theory of jurisprudence also espouse a natural law theory of morality, which argues that there exist objective moral laws that can be derived by analyzing the universal nature of human beings. — Alexis Papazoglou, The New Republic, "The Sneaky Politics of “Natural Law”," 13 June 2019

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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First Known Use of derive

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

History and Etymology for derive

Middle English, from Anglo-French deriver, from Latin derivare, literally, to draw off (water), from de- + rivus stream — more at run

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More Definitions for derive

derive

verb
How to pronounce derive (audio)

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 How to pronounce derive (audio) \
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 |

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