data-driven

IPA/ˈdeɪtə drɪvn/
IPA/ˈdeɪtə drɪvn/

data-driven — adjective

1. using facts and figures that have been gathered and studied to guide decisions o

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

using facts and figures that have been gathered and studied to guide decisions or actions, rather than relying on opinions or guesses

Example

The school board made a data-driven decision to extend the school day by thirty minutes.

attributive: data-driven + 'decision'

Tuan's team uses a data-driven approach to choose which products to develop next year.

data-driven approach + infinitive of purpose

Common collocations
  • data-driven approach
  • data-driven decision
  • data-driven strategy
  • data-driven method
  • data-driven tools
  • data-driven culture
  • data-driven insights
  • data-driven marketing
Synonyms
  • evidence-based

    stronger emphasis on scientific research findings as proof; common in medicine and policy

  • analytical

    broader term that includes logical reasoning and systematic examination, not limited to quantitative data

  • fact-based

    stresses reliance on verifiable truths rather than opinions; slightly less technical than data-driven

Antonyms
  • intuitive

    based on gut feeling or instinct rather than collected information

  • anecdotal

    relying on personal stories or isolated examples instead of systematic data

Grammar Patterns

data-driven + noun

be + data-driven

Usage Note

Most often used attributively (before a noun), as in 'a data-driven strategy.' Can also appear in predicative position after linking verbs: 'The company is now fully data-driven.' Particularly common in business, technology, healthcare, and education contexts.

Common Mistakes

We made a data-driven' (missing noun).
We made a data-driven decision.
data-driven is an adjective and needs a noun to modify.
This is based on a data-drive method.
This is based on a data-driven method.
the compound is always hyphenated as data-driven, using the past participle driven, not the base form drive.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four terms describe approaches grounded in objective information rather than subjective opinion, but they differ in scope and context. Data-driven is the broadest and most common in business and technology — it emphasises letting collected data guide decisions. Evidence-based (especially in medicine, education, and policy) stresses reliance on peer-reviewed research findings as proof of effectiveness. Analytical focuses on systematic logical reasoning and examination, which may or may not involve large datasets. Fact-based is the simplest, contrasting verifiable truths with opinions. Empirical (more academic) refers to knowledge gained through direct observation or experiment. For example, a marketing team might take a data-driven approach by analysing sales figures; a hospital follows evidence-based protocols when choosing treatments; and a detective takes an analytical approach by examining clues and timelines.

evidence-based ↗analytical ↗fact-basedempirical ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • purely data-driven
  • increasingly data-driven
  • truly data-driven
  • fully data-driven

Phrases

  • data-driven decision-making
  • data-driven approach to
  • become more data-driven

Etymology

LatinEnglish

A compound formed from 'data' (the plural of Latin 'datum', meaning 'something given') and 'driven' (the past participle of 'drive', meaning 'propelled or guided by'). The term emerged in the late 20th century in computing and management contexts to describe systems and decisions guided by empirical data rather than intuition or tradition. It gained wide usage during the 2000s with the rise of big data and business analytics.