derivative
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Not radical, original.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
derivuhtivSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
dɚˈɪvətɪv
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Obtained by derivation; not radical, original, or fundamental.
Imitative of the work of someone else.
noun
of a function of a single variable f(x
) The derived function of f(x): the function giving the instantaneous rate of change of f; equivalently, the function giving the slope of the line tangent to the graph of f. Written f'(x) or (df)/(dx) in Leibniz's notation, ̇f(x) in Newton's notation (the latter used particularly when the independent variable is time).
The value of such a derived function for a given value of its independent variable: the rate of change of a function at a point in its domain.
of more general classes of functions
Any of several related generalizations of the derivative: the directional derivative, partial derivative, Fréchet derivative, functional derivative, etc.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
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More ways to use derivative
- “The new product was a derivative of their previous successful model.”
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Common Patterns and Combinations
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Word Family
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Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A financial instrument whose value is based on another security.
The result of mathematical differentiation.
The derivative of a function of two or more variables with respect to a single variable while the other variables are considered to be constant.
An antineoplastic drug used to treat some forms of cancer.
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