ambition

[ am-bish-uhn ]
/ æmˈbɪʃ ən /

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.

Origin of ambition

1300–50; Middle English ambicio(u)n (< Middle French) < 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, adjective am·bi·tion·less·ly, adverb pre·am·bi·tion, noun su·per·am·bi·tion, noun

Example sentences from the Web for ambition

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