aspiration
noun
as路pi路ra路tion
| \ 藢as-p蓹-藞r膩-sh蓹n
\
\
Definition of aspiration
1a
: 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
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Examples of aspiration in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On April 6, 2018, McDermott inhaled food, and developed aspiration pneumonia, Proctor says. — Susan Keating, PEOPLE.com, "2 Veterans Were Murdered at a West Virginia VA Hospital, and Investigators Have Person of Interest," 30 Aug. 2019 The position change hasn鈥檛 changed Lyssy鈥檚 aspirations for the Beavers, who a year ago finished 14-1 and lost in the Class 2A Division II state semifinals to eventual state champion Mart 40-13 at Birkelbach Field in Georgetown. — Terrence Thomas, ExpressNews.com, "Falls City senior Brady Lyssy has new position but same goal," 28 Aug. 2019 The cause was aspiration pneumonia, said his son, Alan Macksey. — Matt Schudel, Washington Post, "Richard Macksey, Hopkins professor with capacious mind and library, dies at 87," 26 July 2019 For a generation raised under Communism, aspirations for the West, for democracy, even for wealth, have started to feel stale. — Jacob Mikanowski, Harper's magazine, "The Call of the Drums," 21 July 2019 The massive marches and other demonstrations that have rocked Hong Kong for the past month have since swelled into broader aspirations for genuine democracy, with some even agitating for independence from China. — Time Staff, Time, "Hong Kong Protesters Try to Drum Up Support Among Mainland Chinese Tourists," 7 July 2019 Historic and personal grievances to land and resources and the aspiration for self-determination and greater autonomy are also fueling growing nationalist sentiment, especially among Abiy鈥檚 own Oromo community. — Abdi Latif Dahir, Quartz Africa, "Ethiopia鈥檚 coup attempt spells disaster for its democratic transition," 24 June 2019 The advent of the modern public library represents the greatest aspiration for civil society, namely that people would want to read, educate themselves, and actively broaden their horizons. — Melissa Mesku, National Geographic, "See 23 of the world鈥檚 most enchanting libraries," 9 Apr. 2019 But Boston Dynamics likely has more adult aspirations for Handle. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Boston Dynamics New Handle Bot Seems Destined For Warehouses," 28 Mar. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aspiration.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for aspiration
aspiration
noun
as路pi路ra路tion
| \ 藢a-sp蓹-藞r膩-sh蓹n
\
\
Kids Definition of aspiration
1
: a strong desire to achieve something
She left home with aspirations for a better life.
2
: something that one wants very much to achieve
Fame has always been his aspiration.
aspiration
noun
as路pi路ra路tion
| \ 藢as-p蓹-藞r膩-sh蓹n
\
\
Medical Definition of aspiration
: 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
Other Words from aspiration
aspirational
\ -shn蓹l, -sh蓹n-岬妉
\
adjective
\
adjective
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