derivative

1.adjectiveB2

Definition

describing a creative work — such as a film, book, or song — that copies existing styles or ideas too heavily and does not bring anything new to them

Example

Critics called Camila's latest film derivative, noting its close resemblance to several popular action movies.

criticized as derivative — common in film/music reviews

The designer admitted the pattern was derivative of traditional Korean textile art.

derivative of + source noun phrase

Common collocations

highly derivative
derivative work
derivative style
derivative of

Synonyms

imitative
emphasises copying a specific model or person, often with a negative tone
uncreative
focuses on lack of new ideas rather than the act of copying
formulaic
suggests following a predictable, standardised pattern

Antonyms

original
fresh and innovative in concept or execution
innovative
introduces new methods or ideas

Usage Note

Frequently used as a criticism in reviews of films, music, and art. Often followed by "of" to name the source that is copied (e.g., "derivative of the original").

Common Mistakes

His painting is derivative of Picasso' (used as a neutral or positive statement).

His painting is derivative of Picasso and brings nothing new to the style.

derivative is almost always a negative judgment, so add context that makes the criticism clear.

1.nounB2

Definition

an item created by taking an existing material or concept and building upon it through change or processing

Example

Honey is a natural derivative of flower nectar, processed and stored by bees.

natural derivative of — describing origin

The new bottle is a petroleum derivative that can be recycled more easily.

petroleum derivative — common in science/industry context

Common collocations

derivative of
natural derivative
chemical derivative
plant derivative

Synonyms

offshoot
suggests something that naturally develops from a larger source, often used for ideas or organisations
by-product
emphasises something produced incidentally during the making of something else
descendant
used for things that come from an earlier form over time

Antonyms

source
the original material from which a derivative is made
original
the first or earliest form of something

Usage Note

Often followed by "of" to specify the source material. Common in scientific and technical writing for substances produced from raw materials.

2.nounB2

Definition

in linguistics, a new word created from an existing one by attaching a prefix or suffix that alters its meaning or grammatical class

Example

In English, 'kindness' is a derivative of the adjective 'kind' with the suffix '-ness'.

suffix -ness forming a noun derivative

Sahil asked the teacher whether 'quickly' is a derivative of the adjective 'quick'.

Common collocations

derivative of
noun derivative
verb derivative
form a derivative

Synonyms

derived word
the same concept expressed in a more transparent phrase
cognate
a word related to another by shared origin, not necessarily formed directly from it

Usage Note

In linguistics, common suffixes such as -ness, -ment, -tion, and -er are frequently used to form noun derivatives from verbs and adjectives.

Common Mistakes

The word "walking" is a derivative of "walk."' (confusing inflection with derivation).

The word "walker" is a derivative of "walk.

inflection changes tense or number; derivation creates a new word with a different meaning or part of speech.

3.nounC1

Definition

in finance, an investment whose value depends on the changing price of something else — for example, shares, bonds, or foreign money

Example

Adaeze bought a currency derivative tied to the dollar-yen exchange rate.

currency derivative — a specific type of financial derivative

The bank offers a futures contract, a derivative that lets farmers lock in crop prices.

Common collocations

financial derivative
trade derivatives
derivative market
currency derivative
oil derivative

Synonyms

futures contract
a specific type of derivative where parties agree to trade an asset at a future date at a fixed price
option
a specific type of derivative giving the right to buy or sell an asset at a set price
swap
a specific type of derivative where two parties exchange payment streams

Usage Note

Usually used in the plural (derivatives) when referring to this class of financial products in general. This is a technical term; learners at lower levels may encounter it only in business or economics contexts.

4.nounC1

Definition

in calculus, a number that tells you how steeply a function's output is rising or falling at any given point — like measuring the slope of a curve at one precise spot

Example

To find the slope at point P, Iker calculated the derivative of the function.

calculate the derivative of — common math phrase

Yusuf used the derivative of position data to get the car's speed at a traffic light.

used the derivative of + source data to calculate — practical application

Common collocations

derivative of
first derivative
calculate the derivative
find the derivative

Synonyms

differential coefficient
a more formal name for the derivative; less common in modern textbooks
rate of change
a descriptive phrase that explains what the derivative measures

Antonyms

integral
the opposite operation of differentiation; measures area under a curve

Usage Note

In mathematics, derivatives are typically denoted as f'(x) or dy/dx. This term is not used in everyday conversation outside of mathematics, physics, and engineering contexts. Often contrasted with the integral (the opposite operation).

Common Mistakes

I calculated the derivative of the distance.' (missing what it is with respect to).

I calculated the derivative of the distance function with respect to time.

in calculus, you must specify both the function and the independent variable.

Word family

derive
verbB2
derivation
nounB2
derivational
adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

While all three words describe work that lacks originality, each emphasises a different weakness. Imitative suggests direct copying of a specific model or artist — a film might be imitative of a particular director's visual style. Uncreative focuses on the absence of new ideas, often as a more personal criticism, as in 'an uncreative response to the problem.' Formulaic implies following a predictable, standardised pattern — like a movie that uses the same tired plot structure as dozens of others. A derivative work may combine elements of all three: it borrows from others (imitative), brings nothing fresh (uncreative), and follows a worn-out template (formulaic). For example, a critic might say 'The sequel felt formulaic, recycling scenes from the first film. At best it was derivative.'

imitativeuncreativeformulaic

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

be derivative of
a derivative of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Derivative comes from Latin derivativus, meaning 'drawn off' or 'led away.' This is built from the verb derivare, which combines de- ('away, off') and rivus ('stream'). Literally, the Latin word describes the act of diverting water from a stream into a channel. Over time, the idea of something being 'drawn from a source' expanded from water to language, thought, and finance—so a derivative is anything that flows from an earlier source.

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derivative

derivative — adjective

1. describing a creative work — such as a film, book, or song — that copies existin

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

derivative — noun

1. an item created by taking an existing material or concept and building upon it t

Usage Note

2. in linguistics, a new word created from an existing one by attaching a prefix or

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. in finance, an investment whose value depends on the changing price of something

Usage Note

4. in calculus, a number that tells you how steeply a function's output is rising o

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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