driven

American

[driv-uhn] / ˈdrɪv ən /

verb

past participle of drive.

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.

driven British

/ ˈdrɪvən /

verb

the past participle of drive

"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

driven Idioms

see pure as the driven snow.

Other Word Forms

drivenness noun
undriven adjective
well-driven adjective

Etymology

Origin of driven

First recorded in 1300–50, for the adjective for an earlier sense

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.

Artificial intelligence and data driven tools now guide many aspects of agriculture and food distribution.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

It was driven by strong easterly Santa Ana winds of 30 to 40 mph.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

TYG, an energy infrastructure fund, has returned 17% this year, driven by Middle East tensions and AI demand for power.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Families were loaded on to tipper trucks and driven about 30 minutes away to Kubwa, an area where residents say basic amenities were missing and tensions emerged with the original inhabitants.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Lady Constance and Lord Fredrick went ahead in their brougham, driven by Old Timothy, of course.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023