driven

[driv-uhn]

verb

1. past participle of drive.

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

/ ˈdrɪvən /

verb

1. the past participle of drive

Other Word Forms

• drivenness noun
• undriven adjective
• well-driven adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of driven¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

see pure as the driven snow.

Example Sentences

Against the Blue Jays, he went 9 for 15—a batting average of .600—to go along with five runs scored and six driven in.

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The main reason spending keeps rising is that the costs of the biggest programs, Social Security and Medicare, are driven by an aging population and rising health costs.

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Dell’s infrastructure solutions group reported 44% sales growth year over year in the second quarter, driven by AI server demand.

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The rate of incidents is accelerating in recent years, a Wall Street Journal investigation has found, driven in large part by leaks on Airbus’s bestselling A320 family of jets—the aircraft Chesson was flying.

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It’s like riding in the bed of a pick-up truck driven by a squirrel.

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