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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Set Inspirational And Aspirational Goals Set a goal that is inspirational and aspirational, in addition to the more traditional goals. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023

Over on a bench, Patricia Clarkson has planted roots and not moved all night, letting everyone come to her — a true aspirational queen. —Jada Yuan, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2023

The expectation that representation will always come with a dopamine spike risks an undue emphasis on the most anodyne, least objectionable stories, the content packaged for maximum virality or as aspirational perfection. —Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2023

On platforms where users strive to appear relatable, messiness has become its own kind of aspirational look to be studied and replicated. —Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2023

Newsletter Sign-up Real Estate From aspirational residences to major commercial deals. —Libertina Brandt, WSJ, 2 Mar. 2023

Weekly China insurance numbers suggest Tesla is struggling to find enough buyers to hit his aspirational figure of 2 million global sales this year without the help of President Biden’s generous Inflation Reduction Act tax credits. —Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2023

Borow found comfort in the fact that TikTok denotes whether a filter was used on a video and believes that disclosure is helpful in distinguishing what’s real from what’s an aspirational filter. —Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2023

Lizzo’s self-facing snaps came with an incredibly stylish guest appearance and some truly aspirational elevator content. —Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

aspiration + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above