mid-14c., from Middle French ambition or directly from Latin ambitionem (nominative ambitio) "a going around," especially to solicit votes, hence "a striving for favor, courting, flatte [..]

strong desire for success and recognition.

have as one's ambition a cherished desire; "his ambition is to own his own business" a strong drive for success (ambitious) requiring full use of your abilities o [..]

a wish to do very well, or to have power

(n) a cherished desire(n) a strong drive for success(v) have as one's ambition

strictly speaking, means “the going from house to house” (Latin, ambitio, going about canvassing). In Rome it was customary, some time before an election came on, for the candidates [..]

ambition for some particular achievement

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{{rfdate}} “I said that he was my superior in observation and deduction. If the art of the detective began and ended in reasoning from an arm-chair, my brother would be [..]