amˈbishəs, aam- adjective
Etymology: Middle English ambicious, from Latin ambitiosus, from ambitio + -osus -ous
1.
a. : having or controlled by ambition : eager for rank, fame, or power
ambitious Rome — Edmund Spenser
b. : having a desire to succeed or to achieve a particular goal : aspiring
ambitious youths … turned to the law as a congenial career — V.L.Parrington
2. obsolete : rising , towering
the ambitious ocean — Shakespeare
3. : resulting from, characterized by, or showing ambition: as
a. : extensive , elaborate
the most ambitious life of Washington … began appearing in 1948 — Walter Trohan
b. : pretentious , showy
in a hard-cover book where I expect something more ambitious — Marston Bates
• am·bi·tious·ly adverb