ambition
nounverbcommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//æmˈbɪʃ.ən//
- Canada//æmˈbɪʃ.ən//
- Canada/[ɛəmˈbɪʃ.n̩]/
- Australia//æmˈbɪʃ.ən//
- New Zealand//ɛmˈbəʃ.ən//
Eager or inordinate desire for some object that confers distinction, as preferment, honor, superiority, political power, or fame; desire to distinguish one's self from other people.
noun
- 1
Eager or inordinate desire for some object that confers distinction, as preferment, honor, superiority, political power, or fame; desire to distinguish one's self from other people.
My daughter, Johanna, wants to be a firefighter very much. She has a lot of ambition.
The third part of practice hath divers branches, but one principal root in these our times, which is the vast and overspreading ambition and usurpation of the see of Rome; […]
One is aſtoniſhed hovv ſuch a ſmall ſpot could furniſh Men ſufficient to ſacrifice to the pitiful Ambition of poſſeſſing five or ſix thouſand more Acres, or tvvo or three more Villages: […]
Ambition makes you look pretty ugly / Kicking, squealing, Gucci little piggy
- 2
An object of an ardent desire.
My ambition is to own a helicopter.
- 3
A desire, as in (sense 1), for another person to achieve these things.
- 4
A personal quality similar to motivation, not necessarily tied to a single goal.
- 5
obsoleteThe act of going about to solicit or obtain an office, or any other object of desire; canvassing.
I on th' other ſide / Us'd no ambition to commend my deeds, […]
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂énts? Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰíder. Proto-Italic *amβi- Latin ambi- Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- Proto-Indo-European *h₁éyti Proto-Italic *ejō Proto-Italic *eō Latin eō Latin ambiō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin ambitiōder. Old French ambitionbor. Middle English ambicioun English ambition From Middle English ambicioun, from Old French ambition, from Latin ambitiō (“ambition, a striving for favor, literally 'a going around', especially of candidates for office in Rome soliciting votes”), from ambiō (“to go around, solicit votes”). See ambient, issue. By surface analysis, ambit + -ion.
verb
- 1
To seek after ambitiously or eagerly; to covet.
Pausanias, ambitioning the sovereignty of Greece, bargains with Xerxes for his daughter in marriage.
Forms
- plural
- ambitions
- past tense
- ambitioned
- past participle
- ambitioned
- present participle
- ambitioning
- third person singular
- ambitions
ambition · Eager or inordinate desire for some object that confers distinction, as preferment, honor, superiority, political power, or fame; desire to…
ambitious · Having or showing ambition; wanting a lot of power, honor,…ambrose · A sweet-scented herb; ambrosia (Dysphania botrys).Ambrose · A male given name from Ancient Greek.