driven

adjective

driv·en | \ ˈdri-vən

Definition of driven

1a : having a compulsive or urgent quality a driven sense of obligation

b : determined to succeed : highly energetic and motivated … a versatile yacht captained by a driven skipper who has won everything in the sport …— Herb McCormick Kinsey redoubled his efforts. If he had been driven before, now there was a manic quality to his work.— David Halberstam

2 : propelled or motivated by something —used in combination results-drivena character-driven drama

Other Words from driven Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about driven

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from driven

drivenness \ ˈdri-vən-nəs

\ noun

He was born two months premature and she has never stopped asking herself whether it was her drivenness, her refusal to rest, that caused it. — Michele Magwood

Examples of driven in a Sentence

They are driven, successful people. a man with a driven need to be loved or liked by everyone

Recent Examples on the Web

Companies have been pouring billions into the development of self-driving vehicles, which technologists believe can one day operate more safely, reliably and inexpensively than human-driven cars. — Greg Bensinger, WSJ, "Uber to Resume Self-Driving Car Tests in Pittsburgh After Hiatus," 20 Dec. 2018 Rather, President Obama’s war on coal was the extension of an equally aggressive climate-change-driven regulatory campaign at the state level. — Paul H. Tice, WSJ, "Trump’s Half-Measures Won’t Save the Coal Industry," 16 Sep. 2018 The variously slinky and driven choreography features such sidelights as pratfalls, teasingly competitive back-and-forth accents, sassy shoulder shimmies and snappy hand jives. — Robert Greskovic, WSJ, "‘Minimalism and Me’ Review: Twyla Tharp Tells Her Story," 19 Nov. 2018 That sensor bar is also mirrored on the back, and all around the car is a 360-degree strip of LED lights that are used to communicate the car’s intent to pedestrians and human-driven cars. — Vlad Savov, The Verge, "Volvo’s 360c concept has softened my cynicism about autonomous cars," 6 Sep. 2018 Marcus Rashford whipped a free kick over the crossbar with nine minutes to play, before substitute Dries Mertens saw his driven effort saved by Pickford at the other end. — SI.com, "England 0-1 Belgium: Januzaj Stunner Seals Group G Success for Red Devils as Three Lions Falter," 28 June 2018 Jodie Landon Daria had two close friends: Her bestie and fellow goth Jane Lane, and her intellectual equal, the observant and driven Jodie Landon. — Cady Drell, Marie Claire, "9 'Daria' Details I'm Praying to See in MTV's Reboot," 22 June 2018 And this office is full of creative and driven people. — Dave Brooks, Billboard, "Scott Clayton Discusses His Move From CAA to WME: 'It's Just a Different Mindset Over Here' (Exclusive)," 5 June 2018 Letting that opportunity slip through his fingers is something the driven young man won’t soon forget. — Nate Weitzer, BostonGlobe.com, "At Dover-Sherborn, a tennis perfectionist leads the way," 8 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'driven.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.