aspirational

adjective

as·​pi·​ra·​tion·​al ˌa-spə-ˈrā-sh(ə-)nəl 

: of, relating to, or characterized by aspiration

aspirational goals

: such as

a

: having or showing a desire to achieve a high level of success or social status

… private schools are patronised … by parents struggling to produce intelligent, clear-thinking, disciplined, polite, aspirational children …

—Katie Grant

b

: associated with or suggestive of a high level of success and social status and therefore appealing to people who aspire to such status

aspirational brands/products

aspirationally adverb

Examples of aspirational in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As billionaires proliferate and expand the ever-widening class divide in the real world, watching the super-rich slip away without real consequences can make a show feel hollow, not aspirational. —Randee Dawn, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024

Fink served as a fitting emblem for an era—an aspirational idea for thousands of young men, some just farm boys chafing under the glare of their fathers, feeling drawn to the motion of the river. —Boyce Upholt, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 June 2024

But that plan sounded almost aspirational, given the level of destruction and the near-famine conditions. —David E. Sanger, New York Times, 31 May 2024

As President, Luxury, Tina oversees some of the most innovative and aspirational hotel brands on the planet, including Bulgari, The Luxury Collection, and more. —Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

aspiration + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above