Definition of aspiration
1a : a strong desire to achieve something high or great an aspiration to become famous —usually plural a young man with political/literary aspirationsb : 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 asa : the act of breathing and especially of breathing inb : the withdrawal of fluid or tissue from the body the aspiration of stomach fluidsc : 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 soundb : the pronunciation or addition of an aspiration the aspiration of the letter “h” in “a house”; also : the symbol of an aspiration
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Recent Examples of aspiration from the Web
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Their elites shared similar aspirations and spoke the same language, English, in addition to others that spanned the border, such as Urdu and Punjabi.
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As Kissinger said, this global vision of China’s future may conflict with America’s own international aspirations.
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China has to be indulgent of Hong Kong’s aspirations.
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The magazine doesn’t idealize homogeneity of race or gender norms, but rather a global sameness of taste and aspiration.
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Last night’s event, however, suggests that the kale of footwear has aspirations to a subtle repositioning: still healthy, still virtuous, but with a new undertone of luxuriousness too.
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Still, driving those plans through to a conclusion that meets the aspirations of the kingdom’s young and fast-growing population will be a Herculean task.
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The second reflects aspirations not validated by a nonpartisan analysis of the House GOP health-care bill that the president praises.
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Yet the world’s most populous country remains heavily reliant on coal to generate electricity and power its steel mills — a habit that could be hard to break without stifling its economic aspirations.
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
Synonym Discussion of aspiration
Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms
ASPIRATION Defined for Kids
aspiration
playDefinition of aspiration for Students
1 : a strong desire to achieve something She left home with aspirations for a better life.
2 : something that one wants very much to achieve Fame has always been his aspiration.
Medical Dictionary
aspiration
playMedical Definition of aspiration
: a drawing of something in, out, up, or through by or as if by suction: asa: the act of breathing and especially of breathing inb: the withdrawal of fluid or friable tissue from the bodyc: the taking of foreign matter into the lungs with the respiratory current
Learn More about aspiration
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See words that rhyme with aspiration Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for aspiration Spanish Central: Translation of aspiration Nglish: Translation of aspiration for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of aspiration for Arabic speakers
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