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Ambition vs Determination - What's the difference?

ambition | determination |

In countable terms the difference between ambition and determination

is that ambition is an object of an ardent desire while determination is the act, process, or result of any accurate measurement, as of length, volume, weight, intensity, etc.; as, the determination of the ohm or of the wave length of light; the determination of the salt in sea water, or the oxygen in the air.

As nouns the difference between ambition and determination

is that ambition is eager or inordinate desire for some object that confers distinction, as preferment, honor, superiority, political power, or literary fame; desire to distinguish one's self from other people while determination is the act of determining, or the state of being determined.

As a verb ambition

is to seek after ambitiously or eagerly; to covet.

ambition

English

Noun

(en-noun)
  • (uncountable, countable) Eager or inordinate desire for some object that confers distinction, as preferment, honor, superiority, political power, or literary fame; desire to distinguish one's self from other people.
  • My son, John, wants to be a firefighter very much. He has a lot of ambition .
  • * Burke
  • the pitiful ambition of possessing five or six thousand more acres
  • (countable) An object of an ardent desire.
  • My ambition is to own a helicopter.
  • A desire, as in (sense 1), for another person to achieve these things.
  • (uncountable) A personal quality similar to motivation, not necessarily tied to a single goal.
  • (obsolete) The act of going about to solicit or obtain an office, or any other object of desire; canvassing.
  • * Milton
  • [I] used no ambition to commend my deeds.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To seek after ambitiously or eagerly; to covet.
  • Pausanias, ambitioning the sovereignty of Greece, bargains with Xerxes for his daughter in marriage. — Trumbull.

    determination

    Noun

  • The act of determining, or the state of being determined.
  • Bringing to an end; termination; limit.
  • Direction or tendency to a certain end; impulsion.
  • The quality of mind which reaches definite conclusions; decision of character; resoluteness.
  • (countable) The state of decision; a judicial decision, or ending of controversy.
  • (countable) That which is determined upon; result of deliberation; purpose; conclusion formed; fixed resolution.
  • A flow, rush, or tendency to a particular part; as, a determination of blood to the head.
  • (countable) The act, process, or result of any accurate measurement, as of length, volume, weight, intensity, etc.; as, the determination of the ohm or of the wave length of light; the determination of the salt in sea water, or the oxygen in the air.
  • The act of defining a concept or notion by giving its essential constituents.
  • The addition of a differentia to a concept or notion, thus limiting its extent; -- the opposite of generalization.
  • The act of determining the relations of an object, as regards genus and species; the referring of minerals, plants, or animals, to the species to which they belong; classification; as, I am indebted to a friend for the determination of most of these shells.
  • Derived terms

    * cellular determination