Ambition definition: an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment.. See examples of AMBITION used in a sentence., Ambition is a strong desire to achieve. It's what Macbeth had too much of, and what slackers have too little of. If a person has ambition, the goal is usually wealth, power, or fame. This Middle English word is derived from Latin ambitiō, from ambīre "to go around or about.", (uncountable, countable) 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. My daughter, Johanna, wants to be a firefighter very much. She has a lot of ambition., 1. an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as wealth or fame, and the willingness to strive for it. 2. the object or state desired or sought after: A theatrical career is her ambition. 3. a desire for work or activity: I awoke feeling tired and lacking in ambition. 4. to seek after earnestly; aspire to., [uncountable] the desire or strength of mind to be successful, rich, powerful, etc. She was driven by personal ambition. She was intelligent but suffered from a lack of ambition., Ambition is the desire to be successful, rich, or powerful. Even when I was young I never had any ambition. a mixture of ambition and ruthlessness..