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driving force

driving force

39 4.1
A force that makes something move forward
  • noun
translation icon : fuerza impulsora
  • Consumers have often been the driving force behind the expansion of energy use.
  • main driving force
  • became a driving force
  • driving force behind change

So fear can be a driving force in these things.

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Examples

  • The government became the driving force behind the public relations.

  • I think that's been the driving force behind me all these years.

  • Culture, society, and I understand that that is what was the driving force behind what they were doing.

  • So anyway, that has been a huge driving force in me.

  • So fear can be a driving force in these things.

  • So science has come up with a number of very powerful driving forces to improve living standards.

  • Prior to 1985, the public sector was expected to be the main driving force for growth in India.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Cultural politics has been an important driving force in the evolution of style, particularly in the modern era.

    Academic text (2013)
  • He was the driving force behind the construction and programming of the Duluth Art Institute, which will now be named in his honor."

  • Access to college has been the driving force in federal higher education policy for decades.

Synonyms

force
vsdriving force
  • Specialized
2.3

Physical power that makes things move or break

is more specific as the agent or source that causes forward motion
push
vsdriving force
138 1.0

A force that moves something away from you

is a broader cause that propels forward, not only a single shove
engine
vsdriving force
129 3.5

A person or thing that causes something to happen

is focused specifically on causing motion rather than general results
drive
vsdriving force
127 3.0

A part that sends power to make a machine move

is the cause or agency that produces motion rather than the act itself
propulsion
vsdriving force
82 6.2

A force that pushes something forward, like an engine or wind

is the wider agent that causes movement, not only the process
motor
vsdriving force
69 6.0

A person, force, or thing that causes action

is the broad cause or agency behind motion in general
thrust
vsdriving force
  • Specialized
56 5.1

The force that moves something forward, like the push from an engine

is the general source of movement not limited to engines
impetus
vsdriving force
1 7.0

A sudden force that makes something start moving faster

is the ongoing cause of motion rather than a single sudden push
motive power
vsdriving force
  • Specialized
1 5.5

Energy that makes a machine like a car or train move

is a broader cause of movement beyond machines and engines
impulsion
vsdriving force
1 8.1

A force or feeling that makes people and things start moving

is the general cause of movement rather than a mere prompt

Antonyms

resistance
  • Specialized
19 4.2

A force that slows an object's movement, like air or water

inhibition
  • Formal
3 5.8

A rule or law that stops something from happening

How Strong

power
3.4
force
  • Specialized
2.3
driving force
39 4.1
to push
1.0
nudge
23 3.5

Surface Forms

driving force singular

Morphology

driving + force

The meaning is directly built from 'driving' (causing or propelling) and 'force' (power or agency), so a learner who knows both words can infer 'the force that drives something.' This adjective+noun composition is common cross-linguistically and follows a transparent compositional pattern, making it readily understandable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Driving force comes from the picture of an engine or strong wind pushing something forward: driving is the push and force is the power. So it means 'the reason or power that makes something move or happen'.