Ambit
/ˈæm.bɪt/noun
The scope, range, or bounds of something.
Did you know?Ambit comes from Latin ambitus, which originally meant a “going around” and was also tied to political canvassing in Rome, where public ambition literally circled power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂endʰ-
“to go, walk”
Latin
Latin
ambire
“to go around, surround; to canvass for votes”
Latin
Latin
ambitus
“a going around; circuit; political canvassing”
Late Latin
Latin
ambitus
“a circuit, boundary, scope”
Middle English
English
ambit
“a boundary or circuit”
Modern English
English
ambit
“the scope or limits of something”
Explore more surprising origins