aspiration

noun as·pi·ra·tion \ ˌas-pə-ˈrā-shən \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of aspiration

1 a : a strong desire to achieve something high or great

an aspiration to become famous

—usually plural

a young man with political/literary aspirations

b : an object of such desire

An acting career is her aspiration.

2 : a drawing of something in, out, up, or through by or as if by suction: such as

a : the act of breathing and especially of breathing in

b : the withdrawal (as by suction) of fluid or tissue from the body

the aspiration of stomach fluids

c : the taking of foreign matter into the lungs with the respiratory current

problems caused by the aspiration of fluids into the patient's lungs

3 linguistics

a : audible breath that accompanies or comprises a speech sound

b : the pronunciation or addition of an aspiration

the aspiration of the letter "h" in "a house"

; also : the symbol of an aspiration

See aspiration defined for English-language learners

See aspiration defined for kids

Recent Examples of aspiration from the Web

Buying something from it will trigger both nostalgia and aspiration—a heady combination.

— oscar humphries, Vogue, "The Glamorous Objets of the Old Ritz Paris, Now on View (and Soon For Sale)," 13 Apr. 2018
But that kind of labor is not at the center of technological progress, esteem, aspiration, or wealth.

— ian bogost, The Atlantic, "The Dot-Coms Were Better Than Facebook," 13 Apr. 2018
Slaughter & May, the only magic-circle firm without global aspirations, has done correspondingly better as a result.

— The Economist, "British law firms seek similar across the pond," 12 Apr. 2018
On Tuesday, the internet’s favorite yodeling kid flew out for an appearance on The Ellen Show, reprising his performance of the country tune in his now-signature yodeling warble and sharing some tidbits about his daily life and aspirations.

— raisa bruner, Time, "The Walmart Yodeling Kid Performed on Ellen and Melted Hearts All Over Again," 11 Apr. 2018
At that moment, the fresh-faced Wisconsin congressman embodied the ideals and aspirations of a Republican Party stirred by his bold proposals about adhering to fiscal discipline while presenting a welcoming face to immigrants and to the world.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "Fiscal hawk Paul Ryan leaving growing deficits and a changed GOP," 11 Apr. 2018
The attention was on the final-group pairing of Reed and Rory McIlroy, whose Masters aspirations fizzled yet again.

— bill pennington, New York Times, "Jordan Spieth Misses a Victory, but Gains Another Masters Memory," 8 Apr. 2018
John Curran's Ted Kennedy scandal pic Chappaquiddick, recounting the 1969 car accident that forever damaged Kennedy's presidential aspirations, also came in ahead of expectations.

— pamela mcclintock, The Hollywood Reporter, "Weekend Box Office: 'A Quiet Place' Crushes 'Ready Player One,' 'Blockers' With $50M," 8 Apr. 2018
So, coming up next, her tragic death helped derail Ted Kennedy's political aspirations.

— Fox News, "Mary Jo Kopechne's cousin reacts to 'Chappaquiddick' film," 6 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aspiration.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of aspiration

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 3

See Words from the same year

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aspiration Synonyms

Synonyms

ambition, ambitiousness, go-getting;

Near Antonyms

apathy, halfheartedness, indifference, unconcern;

idleness, indolence, inertia, laziness, lethargy, shiftlessness, sloth;

aggression, competitiveness, killer instinct;

opportunism, overambitiousness, pretentiousness, pushiness;

assertiveness, daring, spirit;

ardor, avidity, eagerness, keenness, passion;

avarice, greed, hunger;

Synonym Discussion of aspiration

ambition, aspiration, pretension mean strong desire for advancement. ambition applies to the desire for personal advancement or preferment and may suggest equally a praiseworthy or an inordinate desire.

- driven by ambition

aspiration implies a striving after something higher than oneself.

- an aspiration to become president someday

pretension suggests ardent desire for recognition of accomplishment often without actual possession of the necessary ability and therefore may imply presumption.