driver

driver — noun

1. a person whose job or activity is to control and operate a car, bus, truck, or a

1.nounA1
Definition

a person whose job or activity is to control and operate a car, bus, truck, or any other vehicle on a road

Example

The truck driver stopped at the rest area for a cup of coffee.

truck driver + rest area — common workplace collocation

Sofie passed her driving test and became a licensed driver last month.

became a licensed driver — formal qualification phrasing

Common collocations
  • truck driver
  • bus driver
  • taxi driver
  • delivery driver
  • licensed driver
  • driver's license
  • drunk driver
  • driver's seat
Synonyms
  • motorist

    more formal, used mainly for car drivers on the road, not for professional drivers

  • operator

    formal register, often used for heavy machinery or public transport (bus operator)

  • chauffeur

    specifically a paid driver for a private car, often wearing a uniform

Antonyms
  • passenger

    someone who travels in a vehicle but does not control it

Usage Note

Commonly combined with the type of vehicle or job: bus driver, truck driver, taxi driver. The person is assumed to be in control of the vehicle, not a passenger.

Common Mistakes

The driver of the bus sat in the back reading a book.
The passenger sat in the back reading a book.
driver means the person who controls the vehicle, not someone riding in it.

2. a key factor, condition, or force that pushes events forward, causes growth, or

2.nounB2
Definition

a key factor, condition, or force that pushes events forward, causes growth, or motivates change in a particular situation — for example, consumer demand driving product innovation, or rising costs driving a company's strategy shift

Example

Technology investment has been the main driver of economic growth in the region.

main driver of + [economic growth] — common abstract collocation

Consumer demand is the strongest driver behind the latest wave of product innovation.

Common collocations
  • main driver
  • key driver
  • primary driver
  • major driver
  • driver of growth
  • driver of change
  • driver behind
Synonyms
  • catalyst

    stronger, implies speeding up a process that would otherwise be slow

  • engine

    metaphorical, suggests sustained power behind growth

  • motive

    personal/psychological reason, not a broad economic factor

Antonyms
  • result

    a driver causes something; a result is what happens because of the driver

  • barrier

    something that blocks or slows progress, opposite of a driver

Grammar Patterns

driver + of + [noun phrase]

Usage Note

Almost always followed by 'of' or 'behind' to specify the area being affected. Subject is typically an economic, social, or business factor. Frequently appears with adjectives like main, primary, key, major, strongest.

Common Mistakes

The driver of the company is profit.
Profit is the main driver of the company's decisions.
driver in this sense names the cause, not the person in charge.

3. a small computer program that controls how a device like a printer, scanner, or

3.nounB1
Definition

a small computer program that controls how a device like a printer, scanner, or graphics board sends and receives data with the main operating system of a computer

Example

Mira downloaded the latest printer driver from the manufacturer's website.

downloaded the latest printer driver — typical user action + device type

The new graphics card would not work until Yan installed the correct driver.

Common collocations
  • printer driver
  • graphics driver
  • audio driver
  • device driver
  • install a driver
  • update a driver
  • download a driver
  • remove a driver
  • driver software
Synonyms

Usage Note

Often pre-modified by the device name (printer driver, graphics driver, audio driver). Common verbs: install, update, download, remove. Do not confuse with 'application' — a driver runs in the background and has no user interface.

Common Mistakes

I opened the driver to write a letter.
I installed the printer driver so my computer could send documents to the printer.
a driver has no user interface; you don't 'open' it like a word processor.

4. a long golf club featuring a broad rounded head, built to send the ball across g

4.nounB1
Definition

a long golf club featuring a broad rounded head, built to send the ball across great yardages from the teeing area at the beginning of each hole

Example

The golf pro handed Indra a driver and showed her how to hold it.

Élise hit the ball over two hundred yards with her new driver.

hit + [distance] + with + [her] + driver — typical performance frame

Common collocations
  • use a driver
  • hit with a driver
  • new driver
  • driver shot
  • driver club
Synonyms
  • one wood

    older term based on the numbering system; less common among casual golfers today

  • wood

    broader category that includes the driver and fairway woods

Antonyms
  • putter

    a short club used on the green for the final, precise shots

Usage Note

Used only in golf. Also called a 'one wood' (1-wood) by some players. Contrasts with irons, wedges, and putters — each used for different distances and situations on the course.

Common Mistakes

She putted the ball with a driver.
She hit the ball off the tee with a driver.
a driver is for long-distance tee shots, not for putting on the green.
Idioms

be in the driver's seat

idiom

to be the person who controls a situation and makes the important decisions

After the merger, the larger company was clearly in the driver's seat.

Elena put herself in the driver's seat by negotiating a better contract.

be in the driver’s seat

idiom

To be the person who controls what happens in a situation.

With her experience, Maya is in the driver's seat for this project.

Are you in the driver's seat when it comes to your own career?

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Driver is the broadest and most neutral term for anyone who controls a vehicle, from a teenager with a learner's permit to a professional truck driver. Motorist is more restricted — it refers almost exclusively to people driving cars on public roads and carries a slightly more formal tone (e.g., 'police warned motorists about icy roads'). Operator is the most formal and is preferred in official contexts involving heavy machinery or public transport ('a bus operator', 'a crane operator'). Chauffeur is the narrowest: a paid driver who transports other people in a private or luxury vehicle, often wearing a uniform. For everyday conversation, driver is the safest choice. 'My father is a careful driver on the highway.' 'The chauffeur held the door open for the guests.'

driver ↗motorist ↗operator ↗chauffeur

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • driver of
  • driver behind
  • driver for

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Driver comes from the Old English word drīfan, meaning 'to push forward, to force to move.' The suffix -er was added to create a noun meaning 'one who drives.' First used in the 1400s for someone who drives animals or vehicles, the word later expanded to the golf club (late 1800s, because it is used to 'drive' the ball), and to computer programs (1960s, because these programs 'drive' the hardware devices).