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Ambition vs Vice - What's the difference?

ambition | vice |

In obsolete terms the difference between ambition and vice

is that ambition is the act of going about to solicit or obtain an office, or any other object of desire; canvassing while vice is a grip or grasp.

As nouns the difference between ambition and vice

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 vice is a bad habit.

As verbs the difference between ambition and vice

is that ambition is to seek after ambitiously or eagerly; to covet while vice is to hold or squeeze with a vice, or as if with a vice.

As an adjective vice is

in place of; subordinate to; designating a person below another in rank.

As a preposition vice is

instead of, in place of.

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.

    Quotations

    (English Citations of "ambition")

    Related terms

    * ambience * ambient * ambit * ambitious * ambitionist

    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.

    External links

    * * ----

    vice

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl), from (etyl), from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A bad habit.
    • Smoking is a vice , not a virtue.
  • (legal) Any of various crimes related (depending on jurisdiction) to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs.
  • A defect in the temper or behaviour of a horse, such as to make the animal dangerous, to injure its health, or to diminish its usefulness.
  • * From the case of Scholefield v. Robb (1839).
    • Antonyms
    * (bad habit) virtue
    Derived terms
    * vice squad
    Related terms
    * vicious * vitiate

    See also

    * habit

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) ; akin to English withy.

    Alternative forms

    * vise (US)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A mechanical screw apparatus used for clamping or holding (also spelled vise).
  • A tool for drawing lead into cames, or flat grooved rods, for casements.
  • (obsolete) A grip or grasp.
  • * 1597 , , II. I. 22:
    • Fang. An I but fist him once; an a’ come but within my vice ,–

    Verb

    (vic)
  • To hold or squeeze with a vice, or as if with a vice.
  • * 1610 , , I. ii. 416:
    • Camillo. As he had seen’t, or been an instrument / To vice you to't, that you have touched his queen / Forbiddenly
  • * De Quincey
    • The coachman's hand was viced between his upper and lower thigh.

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) , ablative form of vicis.

    Adjective

    vice (no comparative or superlative)
  • in place of; subordinate to; designating a person below another in rank
    • vice president
    vice admiral
    Derived terms
    * vice admiral * vice governor * vice mayor * vice president

    Preposition

    (head)
  • instead of, in place of
    • A. B. was appointed postmaster vice C. D. resigned.
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