Meaning & use
driving force
A person, event, or factor that provides the main energy or motivation behind an action or change.
See it in a sentence
Her curiosity was the driving force behind years of research into rare diseases.
Rising fuel prices became the driving force behind the shift to electric cars.
A note on using this word
Driving force usually takes the preposition 'behind,' as in 'the driving force behind,' rather than 'of' or 'for.'
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “driving force”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.