What does ambition mean?
Ambition is a strong, sustained desire to achieve something significant — success, distinction, power, or a specific goal — together with the determination to pursue it. It is one of the most familiar words in the vocabulary of aspiration, appearing everywhere from job interviews to biographies of statesmen and artists. In modern usage ambition is usually regarded positively, signalling energy, purpose, and self-belief; phrases like 'burning ambition' or 'lifelong ambition' express intensity and long commitment. Yet the word has a darker register: 'naked ambition' or 'ruthless ambition' suggests striving that ignores ethics or other people, and historically — notably in Shakespeare's Macbeth — ambition was treated as a dangerous vice that destroys those who yield to it. The word can describe either a general disposition ('an ambitious young lawyer') or one concrete aim ('his ambition to write a novel'). Derived forms include the adjective 'ambitious'. Understanding ambition means grasping both its inspiring face and its capacity for excess.
nounA strong desire to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work; an ardent wish for rank, fame, power, or success.
- A strong desire to achieve success, distinction, or a particular goal, accompanied by the determination to work for it.
- An ardent desire for rank, fame, or power (historically often with a negative connotation of excessive or improper striving).
"Her ambition to become a surgeon drove her through years of relentless study."
"His ambition was to open his own restaurant before he turned thirty."
"Shakespeare's Macbeth is undone by an unquenchable ambition for the throne."
The plural 'ambitions' refers to multiple distinct goals or desires held by a person or group.
"He had many ambitions: to travel, to learn Japanese, and to run a marathon."
The word 'ambition' once meant simply walking around — it comes from Latin 'ambire', 'to go about', and only later came to mean the restless striving for power and glory.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ambition
Ambition derives from Latin 'ambitio', meaning 'a going around', originally referring to candidates in ancient Rome who canvassed for votes by walking about soliciting support. The term passed into Old French and entered English in the Middle Ages, where it shifted from its literal sense of going around to mean the desire for advancement, honour, or power. It shares the Latin root 'ambire' ('to go around') with words such as 'ambivalent', 'ambiguous', and 'ambient', all built on the prefix 'ambi-'.
Related word forms
How ambition is actually used
Ambition is generally neutral-to-positive in modern usage, celebrated as a mark of drive and purpose, though 'naked' or 'ruthless' ambition carries negative connotations. In earlier centuries, especially in political contexts, ambition was widely viewed as a dangerous vice. The word is used both abstractly ('a man of great ambition') and concretely for specific goals ('her ambition to climb Everest').
Easily confused with ambition
Aspiration is a hope or wish for achievement, while ambition implies the drive and determination actively to pursue it.