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

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.

Example Sentences

Rather than relying solely on narratives of limits or collapse, long-term solutions may depend on tapping into shared goals and collective ambition.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026

For Diamondis, it is about maintaining momentum, and he said the ambition was to make Northern Ireland the "best place to play golf outside of St Andrews" over the next decade.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

One of the hardest parts about retirement is letting go of your ambition.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

Finally, he discussed the broader ambition of the endeavor: dissolving traditional circulation and prioritizing emotional experience over institutional order.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

‘No, they don’t. And she wants one. Young as Baby is, she already has as much ambition as I got. And that’s saying plenty.’

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

Related Words

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