striving

American  

[strahy-ving] / ˈstraɪ vɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or practice of trying hard to do, reach, or achieve something; vigorous effort.

   In the striving for a just and lasting peace, ten agreements have already been reached by national and rebel forces.

2. the act of fighting or struggling against someone or something; competition, opposition, or battle.

   The pursuit of justice itself, or the striving against injustice, is a path to piety in Judaism.

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adjective

1. trying hard; making a vigorous effort to do, reach, or achieve something.

   America is the striving immigrant who starts a business or the mom who works two low-wage jobs to give her kids a better life.

2. fighting or struggling against each other.

   Atonement aims at the unification of striving factions by making amends for whatever caused the trouble.

Other Word Forms

• strivingly
  adverb
• unstriving
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of striving

First recorded in 1225–75; striv(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; striv(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

Striving for heroism is a common expectation of ourselves and others in a decent society.

From Salon • Jan. 28, 2026

Striving for more success, the England goalkeeper embarked on a fresh journey when she swapped Manchester United for life in the French capital.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2025

"Striving for European integration is not the work of one person. It transcends personal ambitions," he said.

From Reuters • Sep. 30, 2023

Striving for originality, they say, is “how to keep the robots guessing.”

From Seattle Times • Jun. 6, 2023

Striving to be recognized as a world power as well as a European power, Germany sought to extend its influence in the few remaining areas of the world that were not under European rule.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman