Synonym Chooser

How is the word aspiration different from other nouns like it?

The words ambition and pretension are common synonyms of aspiration. While all three words mean "strong desire for advancement," aspiration implies a striving after something higher than oneself.

an aspiration to become president someday

When is it sensible to use ambition instead of aspiration?

Although the words ambition and aspiration have much in common, ambition applies to the desire for personal advancement or preferment and may suggest equally a praiseworthy or an inordinate desire.

driven by ambition

In what contexts can pretension take the place of aspiration?

While in some cases nearly identical to aspiration, pretension suggests ardent desire for recognition of accomplishment often without actual possession of the necessary ability and therefore may imply presumption.

has literary pretensions

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of aspiration Sharmell's initial break into the business in WWE in 2001 was with aspirations of becoming an active wrestler and backstage interviewer. Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025 Every game moving forward is a single-elimination contest for the Lakers, who entered the series as favorites with aspirations of making the Western Conference finals or going further. Jovan Buha, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025 But the two have a sudden separation when Tanya cancels their dinner plans to go on a date, and Belinda abandons her business aspirations, mirroring her season 3's ending with Pornchai. Esther Kang, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025 This time around, though, the duo had other aspirations for their creation. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for aspiration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aspiration
Noun
  • Dot Dot Dot, being the first target for Dogma’s acquisition ambition, aims to bring excitement to trend forecasting and consumer insights.
    Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Lawrence leans in and listens as the other commanders disparage him and his ambitions for a reformed Gilead.
    Matt Cabral, EW.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Bennett fired a wrist shot that flew past Andrei Vasilevskiy. Panthers goal.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 1 May 2025
  • Which is sort of ironic, given the current goals of the administration.
    Camila Domonoske, NPR, 1 May 2025
Noun
  • And then there's still a question after that, of meaning and purpose.
    Billy Perrigo, Time, 27 Apr. 2025
  • During questioning by Read's defense attorney, Faller said that the type of alcohol test done in a medical setting for the purpose of diagnosing health issues is different than the type of test used in forensics and relied upon in a court of law.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • This aim is core to Cargill’s purpose to nourish the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way.
    Pilar Cruz, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
  • The aim is to transform the system from one in which every medical service has a price tag to one that treats people holistically, and in which adherence to medical standards brings more money to doctors and their office staff.
    Bernard J. Wolfson and Vanessa G. Sánchez, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The up arrows first turned down in February when Trump and his administration rolled out tariff plans for Mexico and Canada.
    Jim Sergent, USA Today, 1 May 2025
  • Satellite constellations and coverage Starlink: With over 7,000 satellites already in orbit and plans for a constellation of up to 42,000, Starlink currently leads in deployment.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Rogen plays Continental Studios boss Matt Remmick, who manages to always make every situation worse despite his good intentions.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Landry has made clear his intention to carry out these death sentences as soon as possible, having recently approved the use of nitrogen gas, a controversial method allowed in only three other states.
    Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Federal prosecutors have declared intent to seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, according to a court document filed on Thursday evening.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • The executive order shows intent, but turning that into impact will be a longer journey.
    Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Lightning struck when this idea converged with advancements in the potential for LLMs to automate customer service.
    William Jones, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The problem with this idea, according to Cohen, is that the administration's actions are hurting the least ideological parts of universities, such as engineering schools or medical centers.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Aspiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aspiration. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

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