Crossword Genius

Not married -- ambition I abandoned from the start (2,6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

ab initio

'from the start' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'not married ambition i abandoned' is the wordplay.
'not' suggests deleting specific letters.
'married' becomes 'm'.
'abandoned' indicates an anagram.
'ambition'+'i'='ambitioni'
'ambitioni' with 'm' taken out is 'abitioni'.
'abitioni' is an anagram of 'AB INITIO'.

(Other definitions for ab initio that I've seen before include "From the start - in Latin" , "from scratch" , "From the beginning in Latin" , "from the outset" , "Undercoat for metal/wood" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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