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

Derived 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

Same-store transaction volume has increased year over year for seven quarters in a row, while sales growth at most restaurant and beverage peers is either sluggish or driven by price hikes.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

Dadhania noted that the initial price target of $70 was based on the assumption of accelerated revenue growth throughout 2026, supported by a boost in sales driven by the World Cup.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

“We think people want to be involved in what’s, quite frankly, shaping up as a new world driven by artificial intelligence.”

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

As in “Safe,” the heroine is driven by the doubting crowd into the embrace of the few who believe her.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

She hadn’t driven in almost ten years, she said.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall