derived

American  

[dih-rahyvd] / dɪˈraɪvd /

adjective

1. received, obtained, or arising from a particular source or in a particular way.

   The relationship between the root word and the derived form is often metaphorical.

   With ingredients that are 100% naturally derived, we can proudly say our lotion is vegan, cruelty-free, and ecofriendly.

2. dependent on or generated by something more basic; secondary.

   The demand for a piece of capital equipment is a derived demand, as it stems directly from the demand for whatever it helps to produce.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of derive.

Other Word Forms

• self-derived adjective
• well-derived adjective

Etymology

Origin of derived

derive ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

When something is derived from something else, it is made from that. Ham is derived from pork, and the active ingredient in aspirin is derived from the bark of the willow tree. It's best to use derived when you can still see the parts of the original in something. Some people believe baseball was derived from the game of cricket. Both games involve batting and runners, but cricket was around first. Derived is also the past tense of the verb, derive, which can mean to figure out or get. After six tries, Lucia derived the answer to the difficult math problem.

Example Sentences

In 1798, English physician Edward Jenner introduced a safer and more effective smallpox vaccination derived from cowpox.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

He also pointed to fertilizer -- derived from petroleum products -- being "almost a system risk," as shortages could lead to higher food prices and thus inflation.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

The slower expansion rate derived from the early Universe depends on the standard model of cosmology, which describes how the Universe has evolved since the Big Bang.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

According to ISS, another eyebrow-raising element was that the vast majority of Zaslav’s estimated compensation — over 94% — was being derived by the automatic acceleration of stock vesting and the excise tax gross-up payment.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Partly it was the old pleasure that he always derived from mastering new tools and solving practical problems—working out the angles and planes at which the cedar would or wouldn’t cleave cleanly.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown