aspirant

1 of 2

noun

as·​pi·​rant ˈa-sp(ə-)rənt  ə-ˈspī-rənt 

: one who aspires

presidential aspirants

aspirant

2 of 2

adjective

: seeking to attain a desired position or status

the pilot was an aspirant astronaut

Synonyms

Noun

• applicant
• applier
• campaigner
• candidate
• contender
• expectant
• hopeful
• prospect
• seeker

Examples of aspirant in a Sentence

Noun

a debate between the two aspirants for the highest office

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The council’s structure, with no electoral districts and only at-large seats, allows incumbents and aspirants alike to maneuver strategically. —Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025

Already, some aspirants have begun plotting campaigns. —New York Times, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Eight years later, despite the country’s growing contribution to global security and its progress toward military and political reform, NATO member countries have remained reluctant to issue a Membership Action Plan (MAP), a standard mechanism for aspirant countries to prepare for membership. —Tornike Zurabashvili, Foreign Affairs, 12 Apr. 2016

Advertisement Advertisement From Los Angeles to New York, Portland to Phoenix, Seattle to Washington, D.C., the broad arc of Evelyn’s story is a prevalent narrative in urban America: an aspirant working family pinned down by economic weights from which far more than resilience is required to rise. —Jeff Hobbs, Time, 10 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1738, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1800, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

aspirant

noun

as·​pi·​rant

ˈas-p(ə-)rənt,

ə-ˈspī-rənt

: a person who aspires

presidential aspirants