[a. Fr. ambitionne-r, f. ambition; cf. raisonner to reason, f. raison reason.]
† 1. To move to ambition, to make desirous. Obs.
a. 1628. F. Greville, Life of Sidney, Ded. Who hath ambition’d me to make this offering.
2. To be ambitious of, to desire strongly. a. Const. simple obj.
1664. Mrq. Worc., in Dircks’ Life, xvii. (1865), 270. Whatever I have or do ambition.
1776. H. Walpole, in Last Jrnls. (1859), II. 51. The Bishop of Chester had ambitioned the Bishopric of Winchester.
1824. D’Israeli, Cur. Lit. (1866), 365/1. Every noble youth … ambitioned the notice of the Lady Arabella.
1881. R. Pigott, in Macm. Mag., Dec., 174/2. The Fenian leaders ambitioned not the extinction of landlordism, but rather the reconciliation of landlords and tenants.
b. Const. inf. or clause.
1688. Clayton, in Phil. Trans., XVII. 979. Each ambitioning to engross as much as they can.
1818. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1830), IV. 453. Who ambitioned to be his correspondent.
1871. H. Smart, Cecile, 5. Ambitioning that her lover should make his mark.
