ambition
Americannoun
-
ambitions
plural
-
an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment.
Too much ambition caused him to be disliked by his colleagues.
- Synonyms:
- longing, yearning, aspiration
-
the object, state, or result desired or sought after.
The crown was his ambition.
-
desire for work or activity; energy.
I awoke feeling tired and utterly lacking in ambition.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
strong desire for success, achievement, or distinction
-
something so desired; goal; aim
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of ambition
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ambicio(u)n, from Middle French or directly from Latin ambitiōn- (stem of ambitiō ), equivalent to amb- ambi- + -i- “go” + -t- past participle suffix + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Ambition is a strong desire to achieve. It's what Macbeth had too much of, and what slackers have too little of. If a person has ambition, the goal is usually wealth, power, or fame. This Middle English word is derived from Latin ambitiō, from ambīre "to go around or about." In ancient Rome, candidates for office would go around to gain votes, to further their goal of being powerful or famous.
Vocabulary lists containing ambition
Nothing But the Truth
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Stargirl
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"The Latehomecomer," Vocabulary from the memoir excerpt
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
And there’s even a sense of idealism about his ambition.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
By seeking public office, “I was dipping my big toe into a tide of ambition, ego, and irrationality,” he wrote later.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
His main ambition was to perform on the stage, a place where he felt most alive, but his dad didn’t see it as a job.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
As his renewed sense of purpose shifted into ambition, Jordan began looking beyond the day-to-day and decided to set himself a long-term goal to mark his 30th birthday with a professional gym photoshoot.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
She insisted, however, that his ambition never impaired his character and never distracted him from his role as husband and eventually father.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
"That is why country strategies and compacts matter. Roadmaps built around a country's ambitions, the results we are trying to achieve together, and the investments and reforms required to get there," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Recognizing its importance to Germany's nuclear ambitions, Allied forces targeted the plant through sabotage and bombing operations.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
The company said this marked an upgrade to its midterm ambitions, which previously included organic sales growth at constant currency in the low-teens range on average and profitability expanding faster than sales.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
SpaceX, which already offers its Starlink residential satellite internet service, has made no secret of the fact that it has deeper ambitions in the world of telecommunications.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
The ambitions of the Romans and the victories of the Moors, the royal feuds of Europe.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
