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 Additionally, Lecornu demands all factions within the National Assembly to put aside their political aspirations for the offices of prime minister and president until the budget is comprehensively addressed. Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 10 Oct. 2025 Illinois bounced back from a blowout loss to Indiana with that comeback win over USC, but the Illini likely need a stunning upset to keep their Big Ten and Playoff aspirations within reach. Justin Williams, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 Sanders said Tuesday's operation, which is known as an aspiration thrombectomy, is expected to take several hours. Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025 Nuvangyaoma also has aspirations to build out a large-scale solar project — 400 megawatts — with battery storage that could turn the Hopi into a major player as an energy service provider for northeast Arizona. Nate Perez, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for aspiration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aspiration
Noun
  • But while the two share this creation-for-creation’s-sake approach, their respective careers are also defined by lofty ambitions that bridge the worlds of music, visual art and science and beyond.
    Katie Bain, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
  • For Walmart, the deal will help advance its AI ambitions, which have lagged behind Amazon.
    Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The firm’s ultimate goal is to license the technology as well as making it.
    Andrew Saunders, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Skinner leads the team with two goals, while Celebrini, Smith, and Dmitry Orlov have three assists each.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • And a lot of the pseudepigrapha, like the fake gospels and fake apocalypses, fill in gaps in the record that can serve latter-day, post-biblical purposes.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
  • This particular challenge serves many purposes.
    Joe Boylan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • His aim was to make the earth a better place in which to live by creating something beautiful.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The aim is to filter even more content than the PG-13 rating.
    Anna Halkidis, Parents, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The Alphabet-subsidiary is now operating commercially in five American cities, with plans to launch in several more.
    Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
  • That plan was to eventually lead to a marquee match between two former Shield brothers.
    Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Islamabad is now more likely to consider Delhi’s growing friendliness with the Taliban to harm Pakistan’s interests a real possibility, regardless of Delhi’s actual intentions.
    Happymon Jacob, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The following morning, Speak discovered his friend after arriving at his house to pick him up, the intention being to take him to Manchester Airport for a flight to Dubai.
    Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Tagovailoa said the conversations with his teammates revolved around what his intent was with the comments.
    Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • In a world intent on dividing us into factions, political discourse threatens to disrupt workplace culture at a time when companies must unite around change and growth strategies in the AI era.
    Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Based on an idea by Bernabei, the series is written by Elena Bucaccio, Matthew Parkhill and Francesco Arlanch.
    Marta Balaga, Variety, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Construction robots are no longer a far-off idea.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Aspiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aspiration. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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