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:
They see him as someone whose connections and ambition could be used to shake up the regime from within, according to people familiar with the discussions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
To be able to see herself in “The Musical,” Bonilla wanted a Latina girl as the child with the most ambition to succeed in the arts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Both sides seem to be seeking closer ties, and in his speech today, Carney said he welcomed the EU's "ambition" for Canada to become an "associate member".
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
While the UK is trying to get to that 6GW figure, in the US the 2030 ambition is at least 20 times that, with some individual megaprojects to exceed total planned UK capacity.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
I had started to develop a new ambition toward the end of my time at the missionary school.
From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola
For the family, the coming survey fulfills one of her long-held ambitions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
AT&T is also the “least exposed” to SpaceX’s mobile ambitions, since it has the smallest market share among the three largest U.S. mobile operators, according to McHugh.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
"Because the reality is it's a new season. We have big ambitions as a football club, and in order to reach them, we need to move on."
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
But the company, which recently filed for an initial public offering that could come as early as this month, would need a lot to go right to justify a valuation that matches its ambitions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
A story was direct and simple, allowing nothing to come between herself and her reader—no intermediaries with their private ambitions or incompetence, no pressures of time, no limits on resources.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
