A liquid crystal display and a method of driving the same are disclosed. The liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel for displaying an image, an external light sensing unit for sensing an illuminance of external light around the liquid crystal display panel, a backlight unit whose an output luminance is controlled by an adjustment dimming signal, and a gamma curve adjusting circuit for modulating digital video data or varying resistances of variable resistors constituting a gamma resistor string based on the illuminance of external light or according to a relative maximum white luminance based on the adjustment dimming signal, so as to uniformly keep a relative brightness of the input image a user perceives irrespective of changes in the illuminance of external light.