From Longman Business Dictionary
derivativede·riv·a·tive /dɪˈrɪvətɪv/ noun [countableC usually plural]FINANCE something such as an OPTION (=the right to buy or sell something at a particular price within a particular period) or a FUTURE (=a fixed price that you pay now for delivery of something in the future) based on UNDERLYING assets such as shares, bonds, and currenciesDerivatives often offer investors an easy way to make bets in markets that might be otherwise inaccessible.