What does derivable mean?
"Derivable" is an adjective describing something that can be derived — that is, obtained, extracted, or logically deduced from another source. When chemists say a compound's properties are derivable from its molecular structure, they mean those properties can be worked out or traced back to that structure. The word carries a distinctly formal, technical flavor: it appears most often in mathematics, logic, science, philosophy, and law, where precision about how conclusions follow from premises matters. In mathematics specifically, a result that is derivable can be formally proven using accepted axioms and inference rules. The adjective almost always pairs with "from" to name the source, as in "the conclusion is derivable from the evidence." Its opposite sense — something underivable or irreducible — highlights why the word is valued: it marks the boundary between what can be reasoned out and what must simply be observed or assumed. For writers and thinkers, "derivable" offers a compact way to signal logical traceability.
adjectiveAble to be derived, obtained, or traced from a particular source or origin. In mathematics and logic, capable of being inferred or deduced by reasoning from given premises or axioms.
- Capable of being derived, obtained, or traced from a source (e.g., a value derivable from data).
- (Mathematics/logic) Capable of being deduced or proved from stated premises, axioms, or rules.
"The compound's formula is directly derivable from its molecular structure."
"The interest figure is easily derivable from the principal amount and the annual rate."
"In Euclidean geometry, the Pythagorean theorem is derivable from the five basic postulates."
Every theorem in mathematics is, at bottom, derivable — meaning all of mathematical truth can in principle be unfolded from a handful of axioms.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of derivable
"Derivable" comes from the verb "derive," which entered English in the late Middle Ages from Old French "deriver" and ultimately from Latin "derivare," meaning "to draw off or divert (a stream) from its channel." That Latin word combines "de-" ("from") with "rivus" ("stream, brook"), so at its root, deriving something is literally drawing it from a flowing source — the same root that gives us "river." The adjective form "derivable" developed in English by adding the Latinate suffix "-able," appearing from around the early modern period as technical and scholarly writing grew.
Related word forms
How derivable is actually used
"Derivable" is largely formal or technical in register, appearing most often in academic writing, mathematics, logic, law, and the sciences. It typically takes the preposition "from" when specifying the source.
Easily confused with derivable
"Derived" describes something that has actually been obtained or come from a source, while "derivable" describes something merely capable of being derived or inferred.