derivative
derivative — 形容詞
1. describing a creative work — such as a film, book, or song — that copies existin
非原創
缺乏新意、模仿他人的
describing a creative work — such as a film, book, or song — that copies existing styles or ideas too heavily and does not bring anything new to them
Critics called Camila's latest film derivative, noting its close resemblance to several popular action movies.
影評人認為 Camila 的最新電影缺乏原創性，指它與幾部熱門動作片極為相似。
criticized as derivative — common in film/music reviews
The designer admitted the pattern was derivative of traditional Korean textile art.
設計師承認這個圖案只是抄襲韓國傳統織品藝術，缺乏原創性。
derivative of + source noun phrase
Liang called the song derivative — it borrowed the melody from a well-known hit.
Liang 說這首歌太非原創了，只是借用了另一首知名歌曲的旋律。
Roya's professor warned that a purely derivative research paper would not earn a high grade.
Roya 的教授提醒她，純粹模仿他人的研究論文不可能拿到高分。
The exhibition featured mostly derivative works that offered little new thinking about the painter's legacy.
這場展覽展出的多為缺乏原創的作品，對該畫家的貢獻沒有提出什麼新觀點。
- imitative
emphasises copying a specific model or person, often with a negative tone
- uncreative
focuses on lack of new ideas rather than the act of copying
- formulaic
suggests following a predictable, standardised pattern
- original
fresh and innovative in concept or execution
- innovative
introduces new methods or ideas
用法筆記
Frequently used as a criticism in reviews of films, music, and art. Often followed by "of" to name the source that is copied (e.g., "derivative of the original").
常見錯誤
derivative — 名詞
1. an item created by taking an existing material or concept and building upon it t
衍生物
從他物發展或加工而成的東西
an item created by taking an existing material or concept and building upon it through change or processing
Honey is a natural derivative of flower nectar, processed and stored by bees.
蜂蜜是花蜜的天然衍生產品，由蜜蜂採集儲存。
natural derivative of — describing origin
The new bottle is a petroleum derivative that can be recycled more easily.
這種新瓶子是一種石油衍生產品，可回收再利用。
petroleum derivative — common in science/industry context
Christopher's sauce is a lighter derivative of the traditional cream-based recipe his grandmother used.
Christopher 的醬汁是從他祖母的傳統奶油食譜改良而來的清淡版本。
Scientists developed a caffeine derivative that provides energy without the common side effects.
科學家研發出一種咖啡因衍生物，能夠提神卻沒有常見的副作用。
- offshoot
suggests something that naturally develops from a larger source, often used for ideas or organisations
- by-product
emphasises something produced incidentally during the making of something else
- descendant
used for things that come from an earlier form over time
用法筆記
Often followed by "of" to specify the source material. Common in scientific and technical writing for substances produced from raw materials.
2. in linguistics, a new word created from an existing one by attaching a prefix or
派生詞
由另一個詞加上詞綴構成的新詞
in linguistics, a new word created from an existing one by attaching a prefix or suffix that alters its meaning or grammatical class
In English, 'kindness' is a derivative of the adjective 'kind' with the suffix '-ness'.
在英文中，kindness 是由形容詞 kind 加上後綴 -ness 構成的派生詞。
suffix -ness forming a noun derivative
Sahil asked the teacher whether 'quickly' is a derivative of the adjective 'quick'.
Sahil 問老師，quickly 是否為形容詞 quick 的派生詞。
The dictionary lists 'employee' as a derivative of the verb 'employ' with the suffix '-ee'.
這本字典列出 employee 是由動詞 employ 加上後綴 -ee 構成的派生詞。
Padma learned that 'unacceptable' is a derivative formed from 'accept' with two affixes.
Padma 學到 unacceptable 是由 accept 加上兩個詞綴構成的派生詞。
- derived word
the same concept expressed in a more transparent phrase
- cognate
a word related to another by shared origin, not necessarily formed directly from it
用法筆記
In linguistics, common suffixes such as -ness, -ment, -tion, and -er are frequently used to form noun derivatives from verbs and adjectives.
常見錯誤
3. in finance, an investment whose value depends on the changing price of something
衍生性商品
價值依附於其他資產的金融商品
in finance, an investment whose value depends on the changing price of something else — for example, shares, bonds, or foreign money
Adaeze bought a currency derivative tied to the dollar-yen exchange rate.
Adaeze 買了一種貨幣衍生性商品，其價值跟著美元對日圓的匯率波動。
currency derivative — a specific type of financial derivative
The bank offers a futures contract, a derivative that lets farmers lock in crop prices.
這家銀行提供一種名為期貨合約的衍生性商品，讓農民可以鎖定農作物價格。
Paul lost money on an oil derivative when crude prices dropped unexpectedly last month.
Paul 買了一種原油衍生性商品，上個月原油價格驟跌導致他虧了錢。
Samir's financial advisor warned that trading derivatives carries higher risk than buying shares directly.
Samir 的理財專員提醒他，交易衍生性商品的風險比直接買股票高得多。
- futures contract
a specific type of derivative where parties agree to trade an asset at a future date at a fixed price
- option
a specific type of derivative giving the right to buy or sell an asset at a set price
- swap
a specific type of derivative where two parties exchange payment streams
用法筆記
Usually used in the plural (derivatives) when referring to this class of financial products in general. This is a technical term; learners at lower levels may encounter it only in business or economics contexts.
4. in calculus, a number that tells you how steeply a function's output is rising o
導數
函數在某一點的變化率
in calculus, a number that tells you how steeply a function's output is rising or falling at any given point — like measuring the slope of a curve at one precise spot
To find the slope at point P, Iker calculated the derivative of the function.
為了求 P 點的斜率，Iker 計算了這個函數的導數。
calculate the derivative of — common math phrase
Yusuf used the derivative of position data to get the car's speed at a traffic light.
Yusuf 利用汽車位置數據的導數，計算出車輛在紅綠燈前的速度。
used the derivative of + source data to calculate — practical application
Nellie used the derivative to determine the exact moment the rocket's velocity peaked.
Nellie 用導數來判斷火箭速度達到最高點的瞬間。
Leila calculated the derivative of the rocket's altitude to find its upward velocity at launch.
Leila 計算火箭高度數據的導數，得出火箭發射時的上升速度。
- differential coefficient
a more formal name for the derivative; less common in modern textbooks
- rate of change
a descriptive phrase that explains what the derivative measures
- integral
the opposite operation of differentiation; measures area under a curve
用法筆記
In mathematics, derivatives are typically denoted as f'(x) or dy/dx. This term is not used in everyday conversation outside of mathematics, physics, and engineering contexts. Often contrasted with the integral (the opposite operation).