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ambition

/æmˈbɪʃ.ən/ noun

In Latin: ambitiō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about ambition at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. A cherished desire.
    his ambition is to own his own business
  2. A strong drive for success.

verb

  1. Have as one's ambition.

Origin

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 soliciting votes”), from ambiō (“to go around, solicit votes”). See ambient, issue. By surface analysis, ambit + -ion.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)