Meaning & use
derivational
Last updated
Relating to the formation of new words by adding prefixes or suffixes to existing words or roots.
See it in a sentence
The suffix "-ness" is a derivational morpheme that turns adjectives into nouns.
Linguists study derivational patterns to understand how vocabulary expands over time.
A note on using this word
In linguistics, "derivational" morphology contrasts with "inflectional" morphology, which changes grammatical function rather than creating new words.
Words with an opposite meaning
inflectional
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