driving force

Idioms  

1. The impetus, power, or energy behind something in motion, as in He was clearly the driving force in the new administration. This term transfers the force that sets in motion an engine or vehicle to other enterprises. Ralph Waldo Emerson was among the first to use it figuratively (English Traits, 1856): “The ability of its journals is the driving force.”

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Example Sentences

Waller was a driving force behind the Fed’s three rate cuts in the second half of last year.

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

The driving force behind this new mandate was a changing mindset in the U.A.E. about the clean energy transition.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

“The Devil Wears Prada” taught me to appreciate film in a profound, scholarly way that would later become my life’s driving force.

From Salon • May 1, 2026

Queen Elizabeth spoke of how Britain and the U.S. could be the driving force to spread democracy and freedom to peoples around the world in the post-Soviet era.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

In short, the themes of GGS seem to me to be not only a driving force in the ancient world but also a ripe area for study in the modern world.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond