driven

American  

[driv-uhn] / ˈdrɪv ən /

verb

1. past participle of drive.

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adjective

1. being under compulsion, as to succeed or excel.

   a driven young man who was fiercely competitive.

2. 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

1. the past participle of drive

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driven Idioms  

1. see pure as the driven snow.

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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

Explanation

If you're driven, you're strongly compelled or motivated to achieve a goal. If you're a driven gymnast, you spend hours in the gym each night perfecting your balance beam routine. If you know someone who is incredibly ambitious and hard working, you can call them driven. It takes a driven student to make it through medical school, and a driven dog musher to complete the Iditarod. In other words, you need drive, or determination, to achieve these things. Driven can also mean "moved and piled into drifts by wind," often in the phrase "driven snow." When combined with another noun, it can mean "propelled or powered," as in "a wind-driven boat."

Example Sentences

Those satellites could provide a solution to the increasing demand, driven largely by AI, for cheap power.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

“My delay in taking action against Eric was driven by fear, not doubt,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

The use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers increased dramatically in 2020, driven by a backlog in processing asylum claims and a lack of long-term housing.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

U.S. airline fares rose 15% year-over-year in March, driven by billions of dollars in extra fuel costs from the Iran war.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

They had driven almost all the way to the mountain, but they turned around.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone