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

Uncle Herschel, the seated oldster in Cracker Barrel’s iconic logo, is not only a character from corporate lore, the founder’s real-life uncle, but a representative, even an aspirational, figure for a certain kind of American. —Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025

So The Paper treats journalism as aspirational — Ned describes over-romanticizing as one of his main faults. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025

For aspirational Gen Zers looking to emulate his success straight out of college, Navratil’s mantra centers around being in a constant pursuit of learning new knowledge and skills. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025

And if your heart wants a richer drive experience and cabin feel, the Mazda CX-90 is the most aspirational—because sometimes the family deserves to be pampered. —Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

aspiration + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for aspirational

• avocational
• calculational
• combinational
• computational
• conformational
• confrontational
• congregational
• conversational
• correlational
• deformational
• derivational
• educational