ambition vs goal

ambition

noun
  • A desire, as in (sense 1), for another person to achieve these things. 

  • Eager or inordinate desire for some object that confers distinction, as preferment, honor, superiority, political power, or fame; desire to distinguish one's self from other people. 

  • An object of an ardent desire. 

  • A personal quality similar to motivation, not necessarily tied to a single goal. 

verb
  • To seek after ambitiously or eagerly; to covet. 

goal

noun
  • A result that one is attempting to achieve. 

  • A point scored in a game as a result of placing the object into the goal. 

  • A noun or noun phrase that receives the action of a verb. The subject of a passive verb or the direct object of an active verb. Also called a patient, target, or undergoer. 

  • The act of placing the object into the goal. 

  • In many sports, an area into which the players attempt to put an object. 

verb
  • To score a goal. 

How often have the words ambition and goal occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )