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derivative

Pronunciation: [dɪˈrɪv.ə.tɪv]

Word

Learn how to use derivative in a sentence: 6 audio examples across 2 meanings.

Context: “mathematics”

(noun) a derivative is a way to understand how a function or a line changes. It's like asking how fast something is going or how steep a hill is. If you think of a car on a road, the derivative tells you how fast the car is going as it moves along.

Example

In math class, we learned that the derivative of position gives us the speed of a moving object.

Example

The derivative of a constant number is zero; it doesn't change at all.

Example

What is the derivative of this equation, and what does it tell us about the line?

Context: “linguistics”

(noun) a derivative is a word that comes from another word. It's like when you take a root word and make new words from it. For example, 'happy' is the root word, and 'happiness' is a derivative that means the state of being happy.

Example

The word 'teacher' is a derivative of the word 'teach', meaning someone who teaches.

Example

Not all forms of a word are derivatives; for example, 'cat' is not derived from 'catalog'.

Example

Can you think of a derivative from the word 'play'?

How to pronounce derivative

Pronunciation: [dɪˈrɪv.ə.tɪv]

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