1
a
: 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
Herb McCormickKinsey redoubled his efforts. If he had been driven before, now there was a manic quality to his work.—David Halberstam
David Halberstam2
: propelled or motivated by something
—used in combination
results-driven
a character-driven drama
drivenness
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
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
The tally meant that the King dethroned his sister, the driven Princess Anne, who was considered the hardest-working royal family member for the last several years, per informal counts of The Court Circular.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025
What is clear is that the raw material capturing one of the most enigmatic, driven and influential athletes of modern times possibly sits on a hard drive somewhere, or maybe in the cloud, waiting — perhaps indefinitely — to be unlocked.
—Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 19 Dec. 2025
Golden Globe winner Oscar Isaac is nothing if not versatile, with roles that include a struggling folkie in Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), a driven mayor on Show Me a Hero (2015), and a rebellious X-wing fighter pilot in the Star Wars sequel trilogy (2015–2019).
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
The kid was tough and driven, but in need of a little support.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for driven
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Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025
What is clear is that the raw material capturing one of the most enigmatic, driven and influential athletes of modern times possibly sits on a hard drive somewhere, or maybe in the cloud, waiting — perhaps indefinitely — to be unlocked.
—Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 19 Dec. 2025
Golden Globe winner Oscar Isaac is nothing if not versatile, with roles that include a struggling folkie in Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), a driven mayor on Show Me a Hero (2015), and a rebellious X-wing fighter pilot in the Star Wars sequel trilogy (2015–2019).
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
The kid was tough and driven, but in need of a little support.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for driven
Cite this Entry
“Driven.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/driven. Accessed 30 Dec. 2025.
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