driver

American  

[drahy-ver] / ˈdraɪ vər /

noun

drivers plural

1. a person or thing that drives.

2. a person who drives a vehicle; coachman, chauffeur, etc.

3. a person who drives an animal or animals, as a drover or cowboy.

4. Also called number one wood.  Golf. a club with a wooden head whose face has almost no slope, for hitting long, low drives from the tee.

5. Machinery.

   1. a part that transmits force or motion.

   2. the member of a pair of connected pulleys, gears, etc., that is nearer to the power source.

6. Computers. software or hardware that controls the interface between a computer and a peripheral device.

7. Railroads. driving wheel.

8. British. a locomotive engineer.

9. Audio.

   1. the part of a loudspeaker that transforms the electrical signal into sound.

   2. the entire loudspeaker.

10. Nautical.

    1. a jib-headed spanker sail.

    2. a designation given to one of the masts abaft the mizzen on a sailing vessel having more than three masts, either the fifth or sixth from forward.

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driver British  

/ ˈdraɪvə /

noun

1. a person who drives a vehicle

2. in a position of control

3. a person who drives animals

4. a mechanical component that exerts a force on another to produce motion

5. golf a club, a No. 1 wood, with a large head and deep face for tee shots

6. electronics a circuit whose output provides the input of another circuit

7. computing a computer program that controls a device

8. something that creates and fuels activity, or gives force or impetus

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driver Idioms  

1. see backseat driver; in the driver's seat.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondriver
  noun
• driverless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• drivers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of driver

First recorded in 1350–1400, driver is from the Middle English word drivere. See drive, -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

driver drivers

The AI sector has been a major driver of the U.S. stock market’s recent gains.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

The driver did not “display signs or symptoms of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” authorities said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

"Our research shows that hydrous mantle melting beneath island arcs is a key driver of gold enrichment," says Timm.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

The key driver of the remaining beat stems from growth in sales volumes rather than production, he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

She signals for the cab driver to wait and tells me to get out of the car.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

The company said in a statement that sports is one of its biggest engagement drivers and that more subscribers than ever are tuning in to sports.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

DoorDash for years has rushed online orders from burritos to cold medicine to customers’ homes via bike couriers and drivers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

As for the drivers, there is no question that Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon are frustrated, but the reality is they do not have a lot of options.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

"GSK has delivered another quarter of strong core results performance, with our key growth drivers performing well," Miels said in the earnings release.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

This street is much busier than our old one, so I hear not only the whoosh of cars driving past, but every once in a while, motorcycle drivers revving their engines.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks

Related Words

• chauffeur
• jockey
• motorist
• operator
• trainer