aspiration

noun

as·​pi·​ra·​tion ˌa-spə-ˈrā-shən 

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

Synonyms

• ambition
• ambitiousness
• go-getting

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

Hold Goal-Setting Sessions Annually Annually, managers can guide employees by holding goal-setting sessions that align personal aspirations with company objectives. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025

Additional tests include bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, imaging studies, and cytochemistry. —Doru Paul, Health, 10 Jan. 2025

But Corbet uses the second half to remind the audience, in excessive detail, just how many strings come attached with those aspirations. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025

Adapted from German author Mona Kasten’s trilogy, Save Me, Save You and Save Us, Maxton Hall follows Ruby Bell (Harriet Herbig-Matten), a determined scholar at a prestigious boarding school, Maxton Hall, with aspirations to attend Oxford. —Esther Kang, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

aspiration

noun

as·​pi·​ra·​tion ˌas-pə-ˈrā-shən 

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 

: 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

-shnəl, -shən-ᵊl 

adjective