: seeking to attain a desired position or status
the pilot was an aspirant astronaut
Synonyms
Examples of aspirant in a Sentence
Noun
a debate between the two aspirants for the highest office
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023
At its core, the company enables aspirants to kick start their own online store and subsequently list their products on titanic marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 24 Aug. 2023
Both Serbia and Kosovo are EU aspirants, and ending the feud is a core requirement for gaining membership.
—Chris Massaro, Fox News, 1 Nov. 2023
For some indecipherable reason, in recent times most, though not all, such aspirants for the presidency or vice presidency seem to be Republicans.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023
The first primary debate between presidential aspirants was held in 1948, when two Republicans seeking to depose Democratic President Harry Truman squared off in an audio-only radio debate hosted in Portland, Oregon.
—David Faris, The Week, 21 Aug. 2023
The events that transpired in the interim should have convinced most of the Republican Party’s presidential aspirants to rethink their association with Carlson.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 11 July 2023
In this, Ramaswamy is the latest in a long line of presidential aspirants — often, but not exclusively, Republicans — who point to their corporate backgrounds as proof positive that they are uniquely suited for public service in the White House.
—Rafi Schwartz, The Week, 21 Aug. 2023
His advice to aspirants is a reflection of his journey - to remain steadfast even when the tides turn, to continually evolve, and to not shy away from calculated risks.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023
John Hopewell, Variety, 6 Oct. 2023
The New Yorker was a common token among the aspirant middle class in the neighborhood.
—Jonathan Lethem, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
For one thing, there is one clear leader and one clear aspirant.
—Stephen G. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2023
Yet at the same time, Turkey, a NATO member and European Union aspirant, continues to wield enormous influence because of its position as a bridge between Europe and Asia.
—Selcan Hacaoglu, Bloomberg.com, 25 Apr. 2023
Given his status as the second-place GOP aspirant in most polls, DeSantis has positioned himself as the most viable alternative to Trump-wary donors.
—Ryan King, Washington Examiner, 13 Apr. 2023
After falling in love with Kira King, the daughter of basketball star and sneaker tycoon Darius King, an aspirant Queens sneaker designer gains the confidence to pursue his dream of becoming a professional sneaker designer with the help of his best friend, Sami, and his Fairy Godfather.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 14 May 2022
Its central observation is that the new generation of authoritarians, whether fully fledged or still aspirant, as in the U.S., usually exploit the apparent levers of democratic politics but use more discreet forms of manipulation to extend their rule.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022
Four league insiders surveyed on the condition of anonymity believed nearly every Finals aspirant in the West had improved, intensifying the playoff fights to come in the spring.
—Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2023
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Noun
By constantly interrupting his fellow would-be presidential aspirants with a firehose of cocksure imbecilities, Ramaswamy captured the attention of the political chattering classes.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023
At its core, the company enables aspirants to kick start their own online store and subsequently list their products on titanic marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 24 Aug. 2023
Both Serbia and Kosovo are EU aspirants, and ending the feud is a core requirement for gaining membership.
—Chris Massaro, Fox News, 1 Nov. 2023
For some indecipherable reason, in recent times most, though not all, such aspirants for the presidency or vice presidency seem to be Republicans.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023
The first primary debate between presidential aspirants was held in 1948, when two Republicans seeking to depose Democratic President Harry Truman squared off in an audio-only radio debate hosted in Portland, Oregon.
—David Faris, The Week, 21 Aug. 2023
The events that transpired in the interim should have convinced most of the Republican Party’s presidential aspirants to rethink their association with Carlson.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 11 July 2023
In this, Ramaswamy is the latest in a long line of presidential aspirants — often, but not exclusively, Republicans — who point to their corporate backgrounds as proof positive that they are uniquely suited for public service in the White House.
—Rafi Schwartz, The Week, 21 Aug. 2023
His advice to aspirants is a reflection of his journey - to remain steadfast even when the tides turn, to continually evolve, and to not shy away from calculated risks.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023
Adjective
What happens when one aspirant, after hundreds of casting sessions, gets off that stage and goes back home feeling defeated, and no longer has the will to carry on fighting?
—John Hopewell, Variety, 6 Oct. 2023
The New Yorker was a common token among the aspirant middle class in the neighborhood.
—Jonathan Lethem, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
For one thing, there is one clear leader and one clear aspirant.
—Stephen G. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2023
Yet at the same time, Turkey, a NATO member and European Union aspirant, continues to wield enormous influence because of its position as a bridge between Europe and Asia.
—Selcan Hacaoglu, Bloomberg.com, 25 Apr. 2023
Given his status as the second-place GOP aspirant in most polls, DeSantis has positioned himself as the most viable alternative to Trump-wary donors.
—Ryan King, Washington Examiner, 13 Apr. 2023
After falling in love with Kira King, the daughter of basketball star and sneaker tycoon Darius King, an aspirant Queens sneaker designer gains the confidence to pursue his dream of becoming a professional sneaker designer with the help of his best friend, Sami, and his Fairy Godfather.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 14 May 2022
Its central observation is that the new generation of authoritarians, whether fully fledged or still aspirant, as in the U.S., usually exploit the apparent levers of democratic politics but use more discreet forms of manipulation to extend their rule.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022
Four league insiders surveyed on the condition of anonymity believed nearly every Finals aspirant in the West had improved, intensifying the playoff fights to come in the spring.
—Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aspirant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near aspirant
Cite this Entry
“Aspirant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aspirant. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
aspirant
noun
as·pi·rant
ˈas-p(ə-)rənt,
ə-ˈspī-rənt
: a person who aspires
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