Definition of aspirationnext

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 Art, free expression, the creative process and cultural production drive society forward through creative imagination, authentic participation, collective action and shared democratic aspirations. Jane M. Saks, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026 Jara was a public figure, a musician whose work had become intertwined with democratic aspiration and uplifting the working class, so much that it was said that his music was more powerful than a thousand machine guns. Christina Hioureas, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2026 Now, Detroit sits atop the East with championship aspirations and a runway for sustained success. Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026 But the thousands of Kurds know their aspirations for political autonomy and their historical opposition to Iran’s clerical rule have made that unlikely. Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aspiration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aspiration
Noun
  • Executives view the war with Iran as a short-term freeze on their ambitions in the Middle East, rather than a fundamental deterrent, Denis Depoux, global managing director at Germany’s Roland Berger, said Thursday on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia.
    Bloomberg, Bloomberg, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Pop Mart's Chief Operating Officer, Si De, spoke with CNBC about the company's systematic approach to artists and products — and its ambitions beyond Labubu.
    Elaine Yu, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Hosting the biggest weekend in college basketball would be ideal, Orr and Wood of Sacramento State said, a goal shared by Visit Sacramento.
    Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026
  • In 73 career regular-season games with the Sirens and Ottawa Charge, Roese has accumulated 25 points (3 goals, 22 assists).
    Twin Cities, Twin Cities, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The robotic characters break free from their restaurant resting place to cause chaos in town, while the villainous Marionette pops up to possess victims for her own nefarious purposes.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Trump has not only stolen top-secret government files, apparently for business purposes but used his office to harass and investigate his political targets.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • January 20 – February 18 Collaboration works best when the aims are clear.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The option of instead using bollards aims to allow for the downtown area to be utilized for community events and festivals without the use of village vehicles and instead use the bollards at Prospect Avenue and Ann Street and at Park Avenue.
    Chuck Fieldman, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • By the second day, a cable from headquarters informed Chalker that the plan had changed.
    David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Grant Willliams sat out the tail end of the Hornets’ back-to-back, which was the team’s third game in four nights, keeping in tune with the plan for him following his return from tears in his right ACL and meniscus.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The Athletic was the first to report Jones’ intention to enter the portal.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Despite his good intentions, Brandlin was caught in the act while working in the middle of the night to refurbish the crosswalks and install the street signs, leading to a night in the Hawthorne Jail.
    Jasmine Viel, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Guevarez had been arrested more than 20 times over the course of at least a decade, cops said, most recently in September for drug possession with intent to sell.
    Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Although Turkish officials have stopped short of declaring the incidents deliberate attacks, each interception raises the risk of escalation, whether through miscalculation, technical failure, or misinterpretation of intent.
    Steve Mollman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • May 21 – June 20 What connections could help your ideas grow?
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 28 Mar. 2026
  • But ideas to spur Idaho’s stagnant housing stock — namely through deregulation or preemption of local land use — are gaining steam as the session drags on.
    Mark Dee March 28, Idaho Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aspiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aspiration. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on aspiration

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster