derive – 1. Gain or obtain something from 2. Be traced from or based on something

(Pronounced dee-ryve)

To remember the definition of the word derive, use the following mnemonic:

The drive (derive) could be traced from their home to all the major cities in the world. They gained and obtained much knowledge from each city.

Examples of derive in a sentence (gain or obtain something)

Bermuda's tourist industry derives 80% of its visitors from the United States.

George couldn't derive any meaning from the poem.

Gandhi once said, "As long as you derive inner help and comfort from anything, keep it."

Examples of derive in a sentence (traced from something)

Most modern European, Middle Eastern, and Indian languages are derived from the same family of languages, called Indo-European.

Their music is very derivative of the punk fad of the 1970s.

All rivers and streams carry a certain amount of dissolved material which is derived principally from ground water.