ambition

noun

am-ˈbi-shən How to pronounce ambition (audio)
Definition of ambitionnext
1
as in aspiration
eager desire for personal advancement "Talent without ambition will not make you a star," the singer's voice coach liked to remind her

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in initiative
readiness to engage in daring or difficult activity the ambition shown by the undersea explorers of the Mariana Trench, the deepest in the world

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3
as in goal
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish his ambition is to study international business, then get a job overseas

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word ambition different from other nouns like it?

The words aspiration and pretension are common synonyms of ambition. While all three words mean "strong desire for advancement," ambition applies to the desire for personal advancement or preferment and may suggest equally a praiseworthy or an inordinate desire.

driven by ambition

When would aspiration be a good substitute for ambition?

Although the words aspiration and ambition have much in common, aspiration implies a striving after something higher than oneself.

an aspiration to become president someday

In what contexts can pretension take the place of ambition?

In some situations, the words pretension and ambition are roughly equivalent. However, pretension suggests ardent desire for recognition of accomplishment often without actual possession of the necessary ability and therefore may imply presumption.

has literary pretensions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ambition International dealers, meanwhile, seemed encouraged by the level of institutional engagement and by Qatar’s long-term ambitions in culture, even if nobody was pretending the market had fully arrived overnight. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 20 May 2026 Fifth, private investors should properly sequence their ambitions. —Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026 This helps to explain why the summit’s ambitions were so limited. —Neil Shearing, Time, 20 May 2026 And SpaceX serves as a home for Musk’s ambitions related to artificial intelligence. —David Ingram, NBC news, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for ambition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambition
  1. aspiration
  2. initiative
  3. goal
  4. determination
  5. action
  6. purpose
  7. motivation
  8. drive
Noun
  • The Pinstripe Bowl between Penn State and Clemson featured teams that opened the year with national championship aspirations but combined for 13 regular-season victories.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 15 May 2026
  • With aspirations to become the go-to tech companion for young people around the world, VRURC is continuing to explore and create within this widely applicable sector.
    — Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Definition of aspiration
Noun
  • Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams.
    — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
  • Most Treasured Views is a USA TODAY Network project exploring places across America with historical and cultural significance, created in celebration of the USA 250 initiative marking the nation’s 250th birthday.
    — Victoria E. Freile, USA Today, 20 May 2026
Definition of initiative
Noun
  • The company amassed a clean-energy portfolio that included one of the world’s largest solar power plants, and had set a goal of becoming the country’s biggest player in the space by 2030.
    — Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2026
  • What’s the end goal for the electric toothbrush?
    — Caroline Rose Giuliani, New Yorker, 19 May 2026
Definition of goal
Noun
  • Malek’s brave and wonderfully lived-in performance is one that will be long remembered, a career high for this Oscar-winning actor who simply inhabits this man with dignity and determination, his days limited but his spirit untouched.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 20 May 2026
  • But Tusk said Europeans should be under no illusion about Washington’s determination to reduce its military presence on the continent and the need for Europeans to fill the gap.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 May 2026
Definition of determination
Noun
  • But the first glimpse at the full team in action showed an early hierarchy among signal callers.
    — Sam Warren, New York Times, 21 May 2026
  • Clinton, who faces three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault and five counts of armed criminal action related to the incident, is scheduled to go to trial in January.
    — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026
Definition of action
Noun
  • Each object was made by someone, with a precise intention—to embody a necessary purpose, once held in relation to a community.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 May 2026
  • Iran, which says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, was said to have included some nuclear concessions in its latest proposal to end the war.
    — Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2026
Definition of purpose
Noun
  • That anticlimax proved enduring motivation for son Clark, now the chairman of the Chiefs.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 15 May 2026
  • Most organizations continue to approach performance through the lens of the individual, focusing on motivation or endurance, while overlooking the structural conditions that quietly determine how people function over time.
    — Nia Bowers, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Definition of motivation
Noun
  • Scouts spend hundreds of days on the road each year—long drives, cheap hotels, fast food.
    — Dan Greene, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
  • The 1 Hotel is a 10-minute drive from the charming town of Hanalei, where there are a handful of shops and good restaurants like AMA and Bar Acuda.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026
Definition of drive

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ambition
ambitionless
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Cite this Entry

“Ambition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambition. Accessed 22 May. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ambition

Nglish: Translation of ambition for Spanish Speakers

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