ASPIRATIONAL Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

aspiration

noun

ˌa-spə-ˈrā-shən

Definition of aspiration

as in ambition

eager desire for personal advancement a combination of aspiration and hard work made her the top tennis player in the state

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in goal

something that one hopes or intends to accomplish college is his immediate aspiration after he graduates from high school

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Mason, 22, is now hailed as a rising superstar, while Bell's championship aspirations may have diminished. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026 This practice carries risks, such as choking and aspiration, or food entering the airway. — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 3 July 2026 At multiple points, Karp got hung up on the idea that elite universities might not welcome him as a professor anytime soon — an aspiration his parents still have for him, apparently. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 1 July 2026 An adventure without a modicum of agenda, absent any aspirations, aberrant or apposite. — Padgett Powell, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for aspiration

Recent Examples of Synonyms for aspiration

Noun

The decline primarily stems from Goldman's sale of its Apple credit card business to JPMorgan — a smart move to pare back its consumer banking ambitions.

— Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 14 July 2026
Tailing basins, designed to hold the byproducts of extraction, grow taller and taller, as if humans and our ambition were competing against nature.

— Cristina Dorador, The Dial, 14 July 2026

Definition of ambition

Noun

With England getting more and more defensive, the Argentines were able to press further into the attacking half in search of a goal.

— Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
For England, the most pressing question was how to neutralize Messi, the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 21 goals over six World Cups.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026

Definition of goal

Noun

However, StyleCaster may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

— Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 9 July 2026
First, only players with three years of NBA experience are eligible (even a portion of a season in the NBA counts as a year for two-way purposes).

— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2026

Definition of purpose

Noun

Iraq wants permission to produce a record 5 million barrels a day coming out of the war, with a long-term aim of getting production up to 7 million barrels a day, Bloomberg reported.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
The state’s Holocaust Education Bill, passed in 1994, requires every school district to teach the Holocaust with the explicit aim of building tolerance, nurturing democratic values, and confronting what indifference produces.

— Masha Pearl, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026

Definition of aim

Noun

Corlys, one of few characters on the show who has survived long enough to ask for a favor in return for his service, shares his plan with Rhaenyra, asking her earnestly for public support from the crown.

— Zoe Papelis, Vulture, 6 July 2026
The government claimed the feature could increase cybercrime incidents and has directed the platform to pause its plans.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 6 July 2026

Definition of plan

Noun

By 2014, the Army Corps of Engineers declared its intent to remove the mural with no immediate plans for restoration.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Examples include Fashion Valley’s plans to replace the JCPenney store with 850 luxury apartments and the intent by The Valley, formerly known as Westfield Mission Valley East, to add multifamily residential units.

— Hang Nguyen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2026

Definition of intent

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aspiration

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“Aspiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aspiration. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of aspiration

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