self-driven

American  

[self-driv-uhn, self-] / ˌsɛlfˈdrɪv ən, ˈsɛlf- /

adjective

1. (of a machine) containing its own power source, as an engine or motor.

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Etymology

Origin of self-driven

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

As Aseema Sinha, author of Globalizing India: How Global Rules and Markets are Shaping India's Rise to Power, observed, this period was marked by "a self-driven industrialisation drive, export pessimism, and suspicion of global alliances".

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2025

Llewellyn said Killough-Wilhelm is one of the most motivated, self-driven gymnasts she’d ever met, fueled by a “pure passion” for the sport.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2024

We will see whether Mälkki’s stature, after Helsinki, translates to a new music directorship or a more self-driven freelance career.

From New York Times • May 10, 2023

Tour six homes that are powered exclusively by the sun, and in some cases are completely off-grid, in this self-driven home tour in the High Desert.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2023

Fear is contagious—the whole army has fallen into irremediable disorder—has abandoned its commanding position—and in an hour will be self-driven into the sea.

From Recreations of Christopher North, Volume I (of 2) by Wilson, John Lyde