ambit

noun

am·​bit ˈam-bət How to pronounce ambit (audio)
1
2
: the bounds or limits of a place or district
3
: a sphere of action, expression, or influence : scope

Examples of ambit in a Sentence

many feel that church leaders stray outside of their proper ambit when they make specific political endorsements
Recent Examples on the Web Smith, moreover, has based the charges on the constitutionally fraught issue of a president’s state of mind while carrying out actions that — even if malevolent — were within the ambit of executive authority. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 6 Jan. 2024 There, a 5–4 majority ruled that former presidents have immunity from civil lawsuits for actions within the ambit of official executive duties. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 9 Dec. 2023 The Indian intelligence agencies, who are free from legislative oversight, fall within the ambit of Doval in his role as national security advisor. Hartosh Singh Bal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2023 In 1619, René Descartes resolved to transform the study of philosophy—a broad ambit that at the time embraced mathematics and the study of nature. David A. Shaywitz, WSJ, 17 Oct. 2023 Nothing about the administration of presidential elections is within the ambit or the outer perimeter of presidential duties. Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023 Levinsohn now has all content distribution including domestic theatrical, international theatrical, home entertainment and global television distribution (licensing) under his ambit. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2023 The change in perspective — from adolescent to academic — allows Knausgaard to expand the novel’s philosophical ambit to encompass evolution, the conjectural sentience of trees and the narrow scope of human comprehension. Charles Arrowsmith, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023 At a time of mounting concerns over workplace inequality, Title VII’s pointed exclusion of non-Americans from its overseas ambit is at odds both with the law’s spirit and with the realities of the modern, globalized workforce. Samanth Subramanian, Quartz, 16 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ambit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin ambitus "circuit, circumference, strip of ground around the outside of a building," from ambīre "to visit in rotation, surround, encircle" + -tus, suffix of action nouns — more at ambient entry 1

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ambit was in 1597

Dictionary Entries Near ambit

Cite this Entry

“Ambit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ambit. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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