ambición
“ambición” means “ambition” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
ambition, aspirationAlso: drive
📝 In Action
Su ambición es convertirse en el director de la empresa.
B1His ambition is to become the company director.
La joven mostró una gran ambición por aprender idiomas.
B2The young woman showed great ambition (or drive) to learn languages.
Word Connections
greedAlso: avarice
📝 In Action
La ambición desmedida del político lo llevó a robar fondos públicos.
C1The politician's excessive greed (or ambition) led him to steal public funds.
Dicen que el dinero es la raíz de toda ambición.
C1They say that money is the root of all greed.
Word Connections
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "ambición" in Spanish:
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: ambición
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'ambición' in its negative sense (greed)?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology
The word comes from the Latin 'ambitio,' which originally meant 'going around' (specifically, going around soliciting votes or seeking public favor). Over time, this action became associated with the strong desire for honor, power, and high office.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'ambición' usually a positive or negative word?
It depends entirely on the context! In modern Spanish, it is often neutral or positive when referring to motivation and goals. However, if you add words like 'desmedida' (excessive) or are talking about power and money, it takes on the negative meaning of 'greed'.