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
They are accomplished, driven, and outwardly functional.
—Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
In the studio in Hartland, Ramos-Rivera is open minded, driven and kind, according to Smutek.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 13 Feb. 2026
French Caribbean dishes are seasonally driven, highlighting the freshest ingredients from island farmers and seafood purveyors.
—Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 13 Feb. 2026
Whilst Black from Big Deal Films and A24 stars its creator as Kwabena, a driven Black British filmmaker determined to make work that matters – without selling himself out in the process.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for driven
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Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
In the studio in Hartland, Ramos-Rivera is open minded, driven and kind, according to Smutek.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 13 Feb. 2026
French Caribbean dishes are seasonally driven, highlighting the freshest ingredients from island farmers and seafood purveyors.
—Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 13 Feb. 2026
Whilst Black from Big Deal Films and A24 stars its creator as Kwabena, a driven Black British filmmaker determined to make work that matters – without selling himself out in the process.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for driven
Cite this Entry
“Driven.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/driven. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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