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

The index is derived from how surveyed residents rate their satisfaction in nine quality-of-life categories and about 40 sub-categories, while also rating the relative importance of each measure.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Further analysis revealed that mice with the mutation produced increased levels of ATDR, a metabolite derived from vitamin A, in their brains.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

They settle into an index price that is derived from the physical market at that time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

However, it made a similar prediction for 2025 and ultimately derived about a third of its sales from China last year.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

In America, all of the music we currently know today is derived from the musical genres that came before us.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin