# ambition

> English word · Noun · IPA /æmˈbɪʃ.ən/ · frequency rank #8,116

## Definitions
1. Eager or inordinate desire for some object that confers distinction, as preferment, honor, superiority, political power, or fame; desire to distinguish one's self from other people.
2. An object of an ardent desire.
3. A desire, as in (sense 1), for another person to achieve these things.
4. A personal quality similar to motivation, not necessarily tied to a single goal.
5. The act of going about to solicit or obtain an office, or any other object of desire; canvassing.

## 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 soliciting votes”), from ambiō (“I go around, solicit votes”). See ambient, issue.

## Easily confused with
- **audition** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ambition-vs-audition)
- **ambitious** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ambition-vs-ambitious)
- **addition** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/addition-vs-ambition)

## Common misspellings (12)
`abmition`, `ambbition`, `ambiiton`, `ambision`, `ambitino`, `ambitionn`, `ambitoin`, `ambittion`, `ambtiion`, `amibtion`, `ammbition`, `mabition`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ambition