aspiration

noun

as·​pi·​ra·​tion ˌa-spə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce aspiration (audio)
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
Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

has literary pretensions

Examples of aspiration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Miami rules the state of Florida Miami, clearly, has bigger aspirations after a strong start, but don’t overlook the significance of Saturday’s rivalry win and everything else that has transpired so far. Manny Navarro, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025 Advertisement While Mun-ju wavers in her aspiration to become the next president of Korea across the series’ nine episodes, Jung knew a commitment to that goal would be the character’s ending point. Kayti Burt, Time, 3 Oct. 2025 The partners aim to deliver a steady pipeline of films that reflect the voices, experiences and aspirations of Hispanic communities. Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025 Both teams had Super Bowl aspirations, but a 1-4 start would put those hopes on life support. Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for aspiration

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of aspiration was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aspiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aspiration. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

aspiration

noun
as·​pi·​ra·​tion ˌas-pə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce aspiration (audio)
1
: pronunciation with or as an aspirate
2
: a drawing of something in, out, up, or through by suction
3
a
: a strong desire to achieve something high or great
b
: an object of such desire

Medical Definition

aspiration

noun
as·​pi·​ra·​tion ˌas-pə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce aspiration (audio)
: a drawing of something in, out, up, or through by or as if by suction: as
a
: the act of breathing and especially of breathing in
b
: the withdrawal of fluid or friable tissue from the body
c
: the taking of foreign matter into the lungs with the respiratory current
aspirational adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on aspiration

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