derivative
/dɪˈɹɪvətɪv/adjective, noun
derivative is spelled D-E-R-I-V-A-T-I-V-E. The wrong spelling people search most is derivitive: about 300 Bing searches a month in the United States (September 2025 to August 2026), about 1 in 17 of all searches for the word. Derivative is an adjective meaning “Obtained by derivation; not radical, original, or fundamental”.
How many letters and syllables are in derivative?
| Letters | 10: D-E-R-I-V-A-T-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.5 times per million words; the 12,045th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | 1; the most searched, derivitive, about 300 Bing searches a month (all of them) |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How do you spell derivative?
Derivative is spelled D-E-R-I-V-A-T-I-V-E. One wrong spelling is searched or written often enough to measure; together they are about 1 in 17 of the searches for derivative in either form.
Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026). Wrong spellings are taken from Wiktionary entries tagged "misspelling" and its obsolete or nonstandard forms, Wikipedia's Lists of common misspellings and the codespell dictionary, then measured. The proofreader's marks show the change that corrects each one.
How common is derivative?
Derivative appears 4.5 times per million words in written English, the 12,045th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce derivative?
- US /dɪˈɹɪvətɪv/
Derivative has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-derivative.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of derivative
- more derivative comparative
- most derivative superlative
- derivatives plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does derivative mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Obtained by derivation; not radical, original, or fundamental.
a derivative conveyance
- 2
Imitative of the work of someone else.
- 3
Referring to a work, such as a translation or adaptation, based on another work that may be subject to copyright restrictions.
- 4
Having a value that depends on an underlying asset of variable value.
noun
- 1
Something derived.
- 2
A word formed by derivation, such as stylish from style.
- 3
A financial instrument whose value depends on the valuation of an underlying asset; such as a warrant, an option etc.
- 4
A chemical derived from another.
- 5
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 derivative of x² is 2x; if f(x)#61;x², then f'(x)#61;2x
- 6
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.
The derivative of f(x)#61;x³ at x#61;2 is 12.
- 7
Any of several related generalizations of the derivative: the directional derivative, partial derivative, Fréchet derivative, functional derivative, etc.
- 8
The linear operator that maps functions to their derived functions, usually written D; the simplest differential operator.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Derivative in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | dérivé , dérivée |
| German | nachahmend, kopierend , Ableitung , Derivation, Derivat, Derivatum |
| Portuguese | derivativo , derivada , derivado |
| Spanish | derivada , derivado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does derivative come from?
From Middle French dérivatif, from Latin dērīvātus, perfect passive participle of dērīvō (“to derive”). Related to derive; by surface analysis, derive + -ative.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).