ambition

A2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /æmˈbɪʃ.ən/ UK /æmˈbɪʃ.n̩/ See IPA manual

Freq #5758

Meanings

1

noun
Something you very much want to do or achieve.

My ambition is to own my own business one day.
2

noun
A strong desire to be successful, powerful, or famous.

She has the talent and the ambition to reach the top.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · something you very much... aspiration goal dream

2 noun · a strong desire to be... ambitiousness drive

Word family

Forms ambitions

Derived forms ambitionateambitionizeambitionlessnonambitionoverambitionunambitionunderambition

Related forms ambience ambientambitambitionistambitious

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

naked ambition
a strong desire for success or power that is openly displayed

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

Ambition should be made of sterner stuff

Simplified etymology

Ambition comes from Latin ambire, literally “to go round” or “go about,” and more specifically “to go around canvassing for votes.” In English this developed into the sense of eagerly seeking honour or advancement.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂énts? Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰider. Proto-Italic *amβi Latin ambi- Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- Proto-Indo-European *h₁éyti Proto-Italic *ejō Proto-Italic *eō Latin eō Latin ambiō Proto-Indo-European *-tisder. Proto-Italic *-tjō Latin -tiō Latin ambitiōder. Old French ambitionbor. Middle English ambicioun English ambition From Middle English ambicioun, from Old French ambition, from Latin ambitiō (“ambition, a striving for favor, literally 'a going around', especially of candidates for office in Rome sol…

*h₂en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- Proto-Indo-European ambicioun Middle English ambition Old French ambitiō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# ambition

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /æmˈbɪʃ.ən/
**IPA (UK):** /æmˈbɪʃ.n̩/
**Frequency rank:** 5758

## Meanings
1. Something you very much want to do or achieve.
2. A strong desire to be successful, powerful, or famous.

## Examples
- My ambition is to own my own business one day.
- She has the talent and the ambition to reach the top.

## Derived Forms
- ambitionate
- ambitionize
- ambitionless
- nonambition
- overambition
- unambition
- underambition

## Related Forms
- ambience
- ambient
- ambit
- ambitionist
- ambitious

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₂en-
- Root: *h₁ey-
- Root: ambicioun
- Root: ambition
- Root: ambitiō

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂énts? Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰider. Proto-Italic *amβi Latin ambi- Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- Proto-Indo-European *h₁éyti Proto-Italic *ejō Proto-Italic *eō Latin eō Latin ambiō Proto-Indo-European *-tisder. Proto-Italic *-tjō Latin -tiō Latin ambitiōder. Old French ambitionbor. Middle English ambicioun English ambition From Middle English ambicioun, from Old French ambition, from Latin ambitiō (“ambition, a striving for favor, literally 'a going around', especially of candidates for office in Rome sol…

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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