driven

American  

[driv-uhn] / ˈdrɪv ən /

verb

1. past participle of drive.

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adjective

1. being under compulsion, as to succeed or excel.

   a driven young man who was fiercely competitive.

2. controlled or propelled by something specified (used in combination).

   a market-driven approach to retaining talent; data-driven business strategies; a water pump that is solar driven.

driven British  

/ ˈdrɪvən /

verb

1. the past participle of drive

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driven Idioms  

1. see pure as the driven snow.

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Other Word Forms

• drivenness
  noun
• undriven
  adjective
• well-driven
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of driven

First recorded in 1300–50, for the adjective for an earlier sense

Explanation

If you're driven, you're strongly compelled or motivated to achieve a goal. If you're a driven gymnast, you spend hours in the gym each night perfecting your balance beam routine. If you know someone who is incredibly ambitious and hard working, you can call them driven. It takes a driven student to make it through medical school, and a driven dog musher to complete the Iditarod. In other words, you need drive, or determination, to achieve these things. Driven can also mean "moved and piled into drifts by wind," often in the phrase "driven snow." When combined with another noun, it can mean "propelled or powered," as in "a wind-driven boat."

Example Sentences

It laid much of the blame, once again, on Roark, saying it was focused on building out a restaurant platform that it plans to take public and neglecting Driven.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Adam Wyden’s activist hedge fund is offering to buy Meineke owner Driven Brands for nearly $3 billion, according to a letter that was viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Driven by AI data centers, GE Vernova reported strong first-quarter results and raised full-year guidance.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Driven by Gen Z and millennials, 25% of borrowers hold three or more BNPLs at once, with 29% turning to those for groceries and 20% for delivery or takeout.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

Driven by some impulse that he did not understand, Pippin walked softly to where Gandalf lay.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien