Derive is a verb. Which meaning matches this sense?

• A. To get something from a source
• B. To deduce
• C. To show or trace the origin of
• D. To create something new

Answer: (A)

Derive here means to obtain something from a source, often by extracting, inferring, or working from that source. When you say information is derived from data, results are derived from experiments, or income is derived from multiple sources, you’re focusing on how the substance is taken or produced from existing material.

This sense fits best with “to get something from a source” because it emphasizes the act of obtaining or extracting rather than the mental process of thinking through a conclusion, which is what deducing involves. It isn’t about tracing or showing the origin of something—that’s about provenance—nor about creating something new, which would involve originality rather than deriving from an existing source.