ambition

American  

[am-bish-uhn] / æmˈbɪʃ ən /

noun

1. 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

2. the object, state, or result desired or sought after.

   The crown was his ambition.

   Synonyms:

   aim, goal

3. desire for work or activity; energy.

   I awoke feeling tired and utterly lacking in ambition.

   Synonyms:

   force, drive

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verb (used with object)

1. to seek after earnestly; aspire to.

ambition British  

/ æmˈbɪʃən /

noun

1. strong desire for success, achievement, or distinction

2. something so desired; goal; aim

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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

Projects were being offered funding if they could demonstrate an ambition to "integrate sustainable technologies to decarbonise industrial operations".

From BBC

"I'm waiting in the hope of fulfilling my ambition, which is tied to the reopening of the crossing," said Hawajri, 18.

From Barron's

At the beginning of the season-opening Grand Slam, Djokovic insisted he did not feel this fortnight was "make or break" for his ambition of hitting the magic number of 25.

From BBC

This is not a failure of imagination, or care, or ambition.

From Salon

"Right now I don't want to think about tennis, but my ambitions are still the same," Sabalenka said.

From BBC

Related Words

• appetite
• aspiration
• desire
• energy
• enthusiasm
• hope
• initiative
• longing
• love
• lust
• passion
• pretension
• spirit
• vigor
• yearning
• zeal