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▪ I. ambition, n.|æmˈbɪʃən|
Also 4–5 -cion, -oun, ambitioun.
[a. Fr. ambition (14th c. in Litt.), ad. L. ambitiōn-em, n. of action f. ambī-re to go round or about (see ambit), 1. going round, 2. going round to canvass for votes, 3. eager desire of honour, etc., 4. ostentation, pomp, 5. earnest desire generally. Of these, meaning 3 was first adopted in the modern languages; 2 is a later literary adoption directly from Latin.]
1. The ardent (in early usage, inordinate) desire to rise to high position, or to attain rank, influence, distinction or other preferment.
1340Ayenb. 22 Ambicion, þet is kuead wilninge heȝe to cliue. c1449Pecock Repr. iii. viii. 323 Vicis..as pride, ambicioun, vein glorie. 1593Nashe Christ's Teares 41 a, Ambition is any puft vp greedy humour of honour or preferment. 1601Shakes. Jul. C. ii. i. 22 Lowlynesse is young Ambition's Ladder Whereto the Climber vpward turnes his Face. 1613― Hen. VIII, iii. ii. 441 Cromwel, I charge thee, fling away Ambition, By that sinne fell the Angels. 1621Fletcher Isl. Princ. iii. i, Love and Ambition draw the devils coach. 1771Junius Lett. xlix. 254 That kind of fame to which you have hitherto directed your ambition. 1821Byron Cain ii. ii, Dust! limit thy ambition. 1866W. R. Alger Solit. Nat. & Man iii. 120 Aspiration is a pure upward desire for excellence, without side-references; ambition is an inflamed desire to surpass others. 1883Gladstone Sp. in Parl. 26 Apr., A seat in this House is to the ordinary Englishman in early life..the highest prize of his ambition.
†2. Ostentation, display of the outward tokens of position, as riches, dress; vain-glory, pomp. Obs.
1382Wyclif Acts xxv. 23 Agrippa and Bernyce camen with moche ambicioun, or pryde of staat. a1631Donne Serm. lvii. 579 a, Costly and expensive ambitions at Court.
3. A strong or ardent desire of anything considered advantageous, honouring, or creditable. Const. of (rarely for) a thing, to be or do something.
1607Bacon Ess., Ambition (Arb.) 226 It is lesse harmefull, the Ambition to prevaile in great Things, then that other, to appeare in every thing. 1610Shakes. Temp. i. ii. 482, I haue no ambition To see a goodlier man. 1737Pope Lett. Pref., A juvenile ambition of Wit, or affectation of Gayety. 1756Burke Vind. Nat. Soc. Wks. I. 22 The pitiful ambition of possessing five or six thousand more acres. 1770Langhorne Plutarch's Lives (1879) II. 898/2 Some populous town which has an ambition for literature.
4. The object of strong desire or aspiration.
1602Shakes. Ham. iii. iii. 55 My Crowne mine own Ambition and my Queene. 1798Ferriar Illustr. Sterne i. 21 To jest was the ambition of the best company. 1857Ruskin Pol. Econ. Art 37 Their pleasure is in memory, and their ambition is in heaven.
†5. Canvassing, personal solicitation of honours. (L. ambitio.) Obs.
1531Elyot Governor iii. xvi. (R.) Certayne lawes were made by the Romaynes..named the lawes of ambition. 1671Milton Samson 246, I, on the other side, Used no ambition to commend my deeds. 1677Houssaie's Govt. Venice 13 This bartering and ambition of Office was forbidden.
▪ II. ambition, v.|æmˈbɪʃən|
[a. Fr. ambitionne-r, f. ambition; cf. raisonner to reason, f. raison reason.]
†1. To move to ambition, to make desirous. Obs.
a1628F. Greville Life of Sidney Ded., Who hath ambition'd me to make this offering.
2. To be ambitious of, to desire strongly.
a. Const. simple obj.
1664Marquis of Worcester in Dircks Life xvii. (1865) 270 Whatever I have or do ambition. 1776H. Walpole in Last Jrnls. (1859) II. 51 The Bishop of Chester had ambitioned the Bishopric of Winchester. 1824D'Israeli Cur. Lit. (1866) 365/1 Every noble youth..ambitioned the notice of the Lady Arabella. 1881R. Pigott in Macm. Mag. Dec. 174/2 The Fenian leaders ambitioned not the extinction of landlordism, but rather the reconciliation of landlords and tenants.
b. Const. inf. or clause.
1688Clayton in Phil. Trans. XVII. 979 Each ambitioning to engross as much as they can. 1818T. Jefferson Writ. (1830) IV. 453 Who ambitioned to be his correspondent. 1871H. Smart Cecile 5 Ambitioning that her lover should make his mark. |