driven
Americanverb
adjective
-
being under compulsion, as to succeed or excel.
a driven young man who was fiercely competitive.
-
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.
verb
Other Word Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Much of yesterday’s rise was likely technically driven as the November contract bounced off the 20-day moving average at $3.10/mmBtu, Eli Rubin of EBW Analytics says in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
He has driven in one run since then; the Dodgers batted him cleanup in Game 2.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
The housing market where the baby-chasing trend has been clearest is in Raleigh, where it is driven by strong, sustained growth among multiple generations.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
First, it’s worth looking at what’s driven chip stocks lower across the past five sessions.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
They lined both sides of the street and were jammed up so close together it looked like you couldn’t have driven a nail between them.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
