ambition

1 of 2

noun

am·​bi·​tion am-ˈbi-shən 

1

a

: an ardent desire for rank, fame, or power

With her talent and fierce ambition, she became a very successful actress.

b

: desire to achieve a particular end

2

: the object of ambition

Her ambition is to start her own business.

3

US : a desire for activity or exertion

felt sick and had no ambition

ambitionless

am-ˈbi-shən-ləs 

adjective

ambition

2 of 2

verb

ambitioned; ambitioning; ambitions

transitive verb

: to have as one's ambition : desire

Did you know?

Ambition Has Roots in Roman Politics

When candidates for public office in ancient Rome wanted to be elected, they had to do just what modern candidates must do. They had to spend most of their time going around the city urging the citizens to vote for them. The Latin word for this effort was ambitio, which came from ambire, a verb meaning “to go around.” Since this activity was caused by a desire for honor or power, the word eventually came to mean “the desire for honor or power.” This word came into French and English as ambition in the late Middle Ages. Later its meaning broadened to include “an admirable desire for advancement or improvement” and still later “the object of this desire.”

Synonyms

Noun

• ambitiousness
• aspiration
• go-getting

Choose the Right Synonym for ambition

ambition, aspiration, pretension mean strong desire for advancement.

ambition applies to the desire for personal advancement or preferment and may suggest equally a praiseworthy or an inordinate desire.

driven by ambition

aspiration implies a striving after something higher than oneself.

an aspiration to become president someday

pretension suggests ardent desire for recognition of accomplishment often without actual possession of the necessary ability and therefore may imply presumption.

has literary pretensions

Examples of ambition in a Sentence

Noun

My first ambition as a child was to be in the circus.

He lacked ambition and couldn't compete with the others.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Married to her husband for seven years, Kristyn balances her professional ambitions and family life with enthusiasm and determination. —Esther Carlstone, Parents, 18 Dec. 2024

As the sun in Sagittarius brings opportunities for collaboration or romantic connections, its square to Neptune may reveal conflicting priorities between personal relationships and professional ambitions. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 17 Dec. 2024

Verb

But the Kushners’ empire, like Trump’s, was underwritten by years of dealing in much more modestly ambitioned properties. —Alec MacGillis/propublica, New York Times, 23 May 2017

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English ambicioun, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French ambicion, borrowed from Latin ambitiōn-, ambitiō "act of soliciting for votes, running for public office, striving after popularity, desire for advancement," from ambīre "to encircle, visit in rotation, solicit (political support), seek to obtain" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at ambient entry 1

Verb

derivative of ambition entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1601, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ambition

• life's ambition

Kids Definition

ambition

noun

am·​bi·​tion

am-ˈbish-ən

1

a

: an eager desire for social standing, fame, or power

b

: desire to achieve a particular goal : aspiration

2

: the particular goal of ambition

Etymology

Noun

Middle English ambition "desire for power," from early French ambition (same meaning), derived from Latin ambire "to go around," from ambi- "around" and ire "to go"

Word Origin

When political candidates in ancient Rome wanted to be elected, they had to do what modern candidates must do. They had to spend their time going around the city urging the citizens to vote for them. The Latin word for this effort was ambitio, which came from ambire, a verb meaning "to go around." Since this "ambition" was caused by a desire for honor or power, the word eventually came to mean "the desire for honor or power." This word came into French and English as ambition in the late Middle Ages. Later its meaning broadened to include "an admirable desire for advancement or improvement" and still later "the object of this desire."