- 1[countable] something that you want to do or achieve very much It had been her lifelong ambition. political/presidential/nuclear ambitions ambition of being/doing something She never achieved her ambition of becoming a famous writer. ambition to be/do something His burning ambition was to study medicine.
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- 2[uncountable] the desire or determination to be successful, rich, powerful, etc. motivated by personal ambition She was intelligent but suffered from a lack of ambition.
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