driven

USAGE SUMMARY

The word driven is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it as an adjective or an adverb. Example sentence: She is a driven businesswoman who never stops striving for success.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sport

Business

Travel

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

In the Faroes, in "European" waters, thousands of pilot whales die each year, driven from the open Atlantic on to the islands' beaches and butchered.

The Guardian - Opinion

Many of our citizens have been threatened and driven from their overseas homes by vicious mobs shouting "Death to America".

The New York Times

A precociously gifted student, Schiele soon attracted the attention of Gustav Klimt, the pre-eminent artist of the Secession movement – an artistic revolution that covered many art forms, all driven by the basic aim of rejecting Beaux-Arts classicism and stuffy Salon mediocrity.

The Guardian - Arts

But even in the best case scenario, one of these policies would be driven to a remote forest location by some psychopathic coalition senior partner, then made to dig its own grave with a Lib Dem campaign pen.

The Guardian

Yet commercially driven online websites, marketed to a youthful female readership, portray women as miserable victims.

The Guardian - Opinion

You see it in the physical infrastructure: all those new flyovers sprouting up around the city to enable the chauffeur driven classes to get about more easily, even while the commuter trains are still bursting; the crowded, chaotic public hospitals that get by while gleaming new private hospitals open up.

The Guardian

I'm more concerned about working-class people who are seeing their wages driven down by immigration".

The Guardian

"The thing that makes Trotty so special, as everyone knows, is that he is very driven by scoring runs – and that's the thing that he maybe lost a little bit when he was struggling at the start of the summer.

The Guardian - Sport

Clegg accused the Tories of planning to impose "ideologically driven cuts" of £3bn on the schools budget in the next parliament, adding that the prime minister had tried to introduce further cuts over the past five years.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

2 human-written examples

Its executive Loren Treisman says: "It's exciting to see a technology-driven project targeting such an unexpected constituency.

The Guardian

When a UK Labour leader states live on television, as Ed Miliband did, that he would rather inflict upon the people five years of a rightwing, cuts-driven Tory administration rather than do any deals with another left-of-centre party, you know the time has come to let them go.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a person as "driven", ensure the context clarifies what they are striving for. This provides a clearer understanding of their motivation.

Common error

Avoid overusing "driven" as a generic positive attribute. Instead, specify the area in which someone exhibits drive, making your description more precise and impactful. For example, instead of saying "He is a driven person", consider "He is a driven entrepreneur".

Linguistic Context

The word "driven" primarily functions as an adjective, modifying nouns to describe a state of being propelled or strongly motivated. Ludwig AI confirms this, showcasing examples where "driven" depicts a person's character or a process's impetus.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Business

15%

Sport

10%

Less common in

Arts

5%

Travel

3%

Science

19%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "driven" is a versatile adjective that describes a state of intense motivation or propulsion. Ludwig AI validates its correct usage across various contexts. It is deemed grammatically sound and commonly used, with a primary presence in news, business, and sports-related content. Its function is to emphasize purposefulness and intensity, making it a powerful word for descriptive writing. Common errors involve generic overuse, which can be mitigated by specifying the area where drive is exhibited.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

motivated

Focuses on the internal force compelling action, rather than external forces.

ambitious

Emphasizes a strong desire for success or achievement.

determined

Highlights firmness of purpose and resolve.

compelled

Indicates being forced or obliged to do something.

propelled

Suggests being pushed or moved forward.

inspired

Highlights the influence of something positive and uplifting.

zealous

Implies intense enthusiasm and passion.

energized

Focuses on the feeling of being full of energy and enthusiasm.

steered

Suggests guidance or direction, often by external means.

actuated

Highlights the initiation of action.

FAQs

How can I use "driven" in a sentence?

You can use "driven" to describe someone who is highly motivated and determined, such as "She is a "driven entrepreneur"." It can also describe something propelled by a force, like "The project was "driven by innovation"".

What are some alternatives to the word "driven"?

Depending on the context, you can use words like "motivated", "ambitious", or "determined" as alternatives to "driven".

Is it correct to say someone is "driven to succeed"?

Yes, "driven to succeed" is a correct and common usage. It means someone has a strong internal motivation to achieve success.

What's the difference between "driven" and "motivated"?

"Driven" implies a stronger, more intense level of motivation than simply "motivated". A "driven" person often has an almost relentless pursuit of their goals.