designated driver

[ des-ig-ney-tid drahy-ver ]

/ ˈdɛs ɪgˌneɪ tɪd ˈdraɪ vər /

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noun

a person who abstains from alcoholic beverages at a gathering in order to be fit to drive companions home safely. Abbreviation: DD

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of designated driver

First recorded in 1980–85

Words nearby designated driver

desideratum, desiderium, design, designate, designated, designated driver, designated employment, designated hitter, designation, designed, designedly

How to use designated driver in a sentence

She told him that she was usually the designated driver and never had a sip of alcohol before she was 21.
Date Lab: They had ‘fun hair,’ fondue and a shared love of archaeology|Damona Hoffman|August 26, 2021|Washington Post
Thankfully there were no casualties—the driver managed to stop the train immediately.
Is Putin Turning to Terrorism in Ukraine?|Anna Nemtsova|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He also was working to recruit Castro as a driver for a drug load.
An Informant, a Missing American, and Juarez’s House of Death: Inside the 12-Year Cold Case of David Castro|Bill Conroy|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
So I asked the driver to honk the horn, which he does, and Rod looks over.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Abraham, a yellow cab driver and student, feels that blacks are targeted unfairly by the police.
Ground Zero of the NYPD Slowdown|Batya Ungar-Sargon|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Public employee unions are a little-acknowledged driver of this conflict.
How Public Sector Unions Divide the Democrats|Daniel DiSalvo|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But, when the car came thundering down, it was crammed to the step; with a melancholy gesture, the driver declined her signal.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
(b) To open the Treasury vault, the presence of two persons designated by the Secretary of the Treasury is required.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
The combination of the safe set apart for the use of the board will be controlled by two persons designated by the board.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
The driver must at all times have his car under reasonable control so that he can stop in time to avoid injury.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
If there be no facilities for stopping for the night, a driver is not negligent should he proceed through the fog.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles

British Dictionary definitions for designated driver

designated driver

noun

a person who volunteers not to drink alcohol on a social occasion, so that he or she can safely drive other people who have been drinking

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012