derivation

D2E1R1I1V4A1T1I1O1N1
/ˌdɛ.ɹɪˈveɪ.ʃ(ə)n/

noun

A leading or drawing off of water from a stream or source.

“the derivation of a word from an Indo-European root”

Less commonScrabble 14

Meanings

nounderivation (countable and uncountable, plural derivations)

plural derivations

  1. countableuncountableA leading or drawing off of water from a stream or source.
  2. countableuncountableThe act of receiving anything from a source; the act of procuring an effect from a cause, means, or condition, as profits from capital, conclusions or opinions from evidence.
  3. countableuncountablegenealogyhuman sciencesThe act of tracing origin or descent; an instance thereof (for example, an etymology).

    the derivation of a word from an Indo-European root

  4. countableuncountablegrammarForming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it.
  5. countableuncountableThe state or method of being derived; the relation of origin when established or asserted.
  6. countableuncountableThat from which a thing is derived.
  7. countableuncountableThat which is derived; a derivative; the result of a deduction.

    There were also letters to scientists and other scholars, pages of derivations of mathematics and physics formulae, and copious writings on alchemy and religion.

    2014 June 21, “Magician’s brain”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8892, archived from the original on 09 Jan 2025
  8. countableuncountableThe process of deriving one thing from another, especially in logic; a deduction.
    1. countableuncountablemathematicsA formal proof: a sequence of statements, each of which is logically entailed by those preceding (with respect to some collection of rules of inference), the initial statements being taken as axioms.
  9. countableuncountablecalculusThe process of application of the derivative operator to a function, yielding another function called the derived function of the first.
  10. countableuncountabledifferential algebramathematicsAn algebraic generalization of the derivative operator (from its natural setting in the ring of real-valued functions) to a general associative algebra over a field. Formally, (given an algebra A over a field K) a K-linear endomorphism that satisfies Leibnitz's Law.
    1. countableuncountabledifferential algebramathematicsAny of several generalizations of this notion: a Hasse–Schmidt derivation, a graded derivation, etc.
  11. countablehistoricaluncountablemedicineA drawing of humors or fluids from one part of the body to another, to relieve or lessen a morbid process.

Synonyms & antonyms

noun(historical linguistics) an explanation of the historical origins of a word or phrase

nouninherited properties shared with others of your bloodline

Broader
inheritancehereditary pattern

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latindērīvātiō, dērīvātiōnem
  2. Middle Frenchdérivation
  3. Middle Englishderivacioun
  4. Englishderivation

From Middle English derivacioun, borrowed from Middle French dérivation, from Latin dērīvātiō, dērīvātiōnem. Morphologically derive + -ation.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian деривация, извеждане
  • деривация (derivacija)leading or drawing off of water
  • извеждане (izveždane)act of receiving anything from a source
  • етимология (etimologija)act of tracing origin or descent
  • диференциране (diferencirane)math: operation of deducing
Catalan derivació
  • derivacióforming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
Chinese Mandarin 派生
  • 派生 (pàishēng)act of tracing origin or descent
Czech odvození, derivace
  • odvozeníact of receiving anything from a source
  • derivacemath: operation of deducing
Danish afledning, afledning
  • afledningact of tracing origin or descent
  • afledningforming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • derivationforming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • afledningthat from which sthg is derived
  • afledningthat which is derived
  • derivatthat which is derived
Dutch afleiding, derivatie
  • afleidingforming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • derivatieforming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • afleidingmath: operation of deducing
Esperanto derivado
  • derivadoact of tracing origin or descent
Finnish juoksutus, johtaminen
  • juoksutusleading or drawing off of water
  • johtaminenact of receiving anything from a source
  • johtaminenact of tracing origin or descent
  • johtaminenstate or method of being derived
  • johto-oppistate or method of being derived
  • kantathat from which sthg is derived
  • johdosthat which is derived
  • johtaminenmath: operation of deducing
German Herleiten, Herleitung
  • Herleitenact of tracing origin or descent
  • Herleitungact of tracing origin or descent
  • Ableitungact of tracing origin or descent
  • Derivationmath: operation of deducing
Hungarian kinyerés, származtatás
  • kinyerésact of receiving anything from a source
  • származtatásact of receiving anything from a source
  • származtatásact of tracing origin or descent
  • derivációforming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • képzésforming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • szóképzésforming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • eredetthat from which sthg is derived
  • kiindulásthat from which sthg is derived
  • származékthat which is derived
  • deriválásmath: operation of deducing
Italian deviazione, derivazione
  • deviazioneleading or drawing off of water
  • derivazioneact of receiving anything from a source
  • etimologiaact of tracing origin or descent
Japanese 派生
  • 派生 (hasei)act of tracing origin or descent
Māori takenga, takenga
  • takengaact of tracing origin or descent
  • takengathat which is derived
Norwegian Bokmål avledning, avleiing
  • avledningact of tracing origin or descent
  • avleiingact of tracing origin or descent
  • avledningforming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • avleiingforming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • derivasjonforming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • avledningthat which is derived
  • avleiingthat which is derived
  • derivasjonmath: operation of deducing
Polish derywacja, derywacja
  • derywacjaforming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • derywacjathat which is derived
Romanian derivație, derivare
  • derivațieleading or drawing off of water
  • derivaremath: operation of deducing
Russian происхожде́ние
  • происхожде́ние (proisxoždénije)act of tracing origin or descent
Slovak derivácia
  • deriváciamath: operation of deducing
Spanish derivación, derivada
  • derivaciónact of tracing origin or descent
  • derivadamath: operation of deducing
  • derivaciónmath: operation of deducing
Swedish avledning, avledning
  • avledningleading or drawing off of water
  • avledningact of tracing origin or descent
  • härledningact of tracing origin or descent
  • avledningforming a new word by changing the base of another word or by adding affixes to it
  • avledningthat which is derived
  • deriveringmath: operation of deducing
  • härledningmath: operation of deducing

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with derivation

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

derivation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/derivation

MLA

“derivation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/derivation. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “derivation,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/derivation.

Source: derivation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.