ambition

[ am-bish-uhn ]

/ æmˈbɪʃ ən /

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See synonyms for: ambition / ambitions on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

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)

to seek after earnestly; aspire to.

OTHER WORDS FOR ambition

1 aspiration, yearning, longing.

2 goal, aim.

3 drive, force.

See synonyms for ambition on Thesaurus.com

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM ambition

am·bi·tion·less, adjectiveam·bi·tion·less·ly, adverbpre·am·bi·tion, nounsu·per·am·bi·tion, noun

Words nearby ambition

ambisinister, ambisonics, ambisyllabic, ambit, ambitendency, ambition, ambitious, ambivalence, ambivalent, ambivalent sexism, ambiversion

How to use ambition in a sentence

Pelosi had resisted demands from moderates in her caucus to narrow her ambitions or put a new bill on the floor, insisting that Republicans should be the ones to offer new concessions.
Pelosi abruptly shifts course, restarts relief push amid signs economy is straining|Erica Werner, Rachael Bade|September 24, 2020|Washington Post
However, its near term target of peaking emissions before 2030 is unaltered and it is this near term ambition that counts….
Experts praise China’s pledge to be carbon neutral by 2060—but more could be done|eamonbarrett|September 24, 2020|Fortune
This was the central ambition of a number of no-longer-existing startups over 10 years ago.
Google boosting visibility of ‘nearby’ product inventory with new Shopping features|Greg Sterling|September 16, 2020|Search Engine Land
The program, which is an expansion of one Walmart began testing last year for free grocery delivery, is another signal of the retailer’s growing e-commerce ambitions.
America’s largest retailer is taking on Amazon Prime|Marc Bain|September 4, 2020|Quartz

If ambition doesn’t inhabit you, you wonder what all the hubbub is about.
Bethenny Frankel Reveals Why She’s an ‘Animal’|Eugene Robinson|September 2, 2020|Ozy
The other narrative is of mobility in the service of ambition.
Will Texas Stay Texan?|David Fontana|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Their authors promise that your spirit will be improved, your ambition honed, and your finances maximized by their advice.
Can Self-Help Books Really Make a New You?|Lizzie Crocker|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And it led him in his teenage years to declare his ambition to become a cop.
In The Shadow of Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Reid planted a flag, ready to make his mark in the world of whisky, backed by ambition and a gorgeous piece of land.
Ester Elchies, The Estate Built By Whiskey||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He made little secret of his ambition to become the next prime minister, much to the chagrin of Netanyahu.
Goodbye to Israel’s Lousy Government (Let’s Hope the Next One Isn’t Worse)|Alon Ben-Meir|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Greater mischiefs happen often from folly, meanness, and vanity than from the greater sins of avarice and ambition.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
To talk German was beyond the sweep of my dizziest ambition, but an Italian runner or porter instantly presented himself.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
He went on, ruminating on the vain shadow, into which his over-heated ambition to act and to be distinguished, had involved him.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
So far Murat had always held subordinate commands; his great ambition was to become the commander-in-chief of an independent army.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Noble ambition—worthy of a less ignoble cause—a better fate!
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for ambition

ambition

/ (æmˈbɪʃən) /

noun

strong desire for success, achievement, or distinction

something so desired; goal; aim

Word Origin for ambition

C14: from Old French, from Latin ambitiō a going round (of candidates), a striving to please, from ambīre to go round; see ambit

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ambition

OTHER WORDS FOR ambition

Origin of ambition

OTHER WORDS FROM ambition

Words nearby ambition

Words related to ambition

How to use ambition in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ambition

Word Origin for ambition