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
Synonyms
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
Iceman is more Nix’s personality — confident, driven, rigid and dedicated.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 3 Nov. 2024
The common narrative suggests that European founders are less driven, that venture capital in Europe lags far behind, and that the continent’s fragmented markets and complicated regulatory environments stifle creativity and innovation.
—Kjartan Rist, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Scorpio career horoscope Scorpios are goal-oriented and driven, Montúfar says.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 23 Oct. 2024
Harriman was a woman of action and, on the evidence presented here, a supremely confident, canny, seductive, driven, and discreet one.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for driven 
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Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 3 Nov. 2024
The common narrative suggests that European founders are less driven, that venture capital in Europe lags far behind, and that the continent’s fragmented markets and complicated regulatory environments stifle creativity and innovation.
—Kjartan Rist, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Scorpio career horoscope Scorpios are goal-oriented and driven, Montúfar says.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 23 Oct. 2024
Harriman was a woman of action and, on the evidence presented here, a supremely confident, canny, seductive, driven, and discreet one.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for driven
Dictionary Entries Near driven
Cite this Entry
“Driven.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/driven. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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