ambition
Americannoun
-
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
- ambitionless adjective
- ambitionlessly adverb
- preambition noun
- superambition noun
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
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.
In a press release, the government said the plan is part of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's "ambition to restore pride in every part of Britain".
From BBC
Japanese government bonds have also sold off sharply, boosting yields, in part to reflect the added borrowing likely needed to fund Takaichi’s fiscal ambitions.
From Barron's
For the Winter Paralympics, which follow in March, UK Sport has set an ambition of two to five medals.
From BBC
She has found a good customer base but she finds herself unable to move forward with her ambitions.
From BBC
It has the capital and card experience, including underwriting a swath of consumers, to swallow the program and ambitions to be closer to Apple and its core customer.
Definitions 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.
