aspiration
noun
as·pi·ra·tion
| \ ˌas-pə-ˈrā-shən
\
\
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
After his cranky ex-cop father Martin moves in, along with his dog and his equally down-to-earth British nurse, the show uses Martin’s ratty, Archie Bunker-esque armchair to symbolize the show’s fundamental clash between aspiration and authenticity. — Joanna Scutts, Curbed, "The shows we’ve lived by," 14 Aug. 2019 Ruth and Debbie could be just two odd-couple sides of the same coin, the brunet craftsman with highbrow directorial aspirations and her blond producer pal working cocktail meetings with slithery moneymen. — Darren Franich, EW.com, "GLOW's Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin are one of the best TV duos of the decade — here's why," 19 July 2019 Her defiance may be a product of Western individualism (and so, some might argue, are her writerly aspirations and her empty bank account). — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: Delightful ‘The Farewell,’ starring Awkwafina, shows us a family divided," 18 July 2019 Her defiance may be a product of Western individualism (and so, some might argue, are her writerly aspirations and her empty bank account). — Justin Chang, latimes.com, "Review: Lulu Wang's delightful 'The Farewell,' starring Awkwafina, shows us a family divided," 9 July 2019 Neha exemplifies much of this aspiration and advancement. — Nilanjana Bhowmick, Time, "School Has Been a Right for Girls in India Since 2009. So Why Aren’t They Going?," 27 June 2019 The essence is to arrive at some minimum political consensus that embodies the aspirations and wishes of key political actors and the wider public. — Moses Khisa, Quartz Africa, "President Museveni has twisted Uganda’s constitution to cling to power," 21 June 2019 The closure and subsequent fallout have affected students’ career aspirations and views on college. — Rachel Leingang, azcentral, "Art Institute's former students were promised to get their debt erased. It's not happening," 19 June 2019 Crucial to any of these films is a lead performance that can capture both the shine of the hero’s aspirations and the grind of day-to-day life. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "Wild Rose Is the Best Kind of Musical Melodrama," 19 June 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·pi·ra·tion
| \ ˌa-spə-ˈrā-shən
\
\
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·pi·ra·tion
| \ ˌas-pə-ˈrā-shən
\
\
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
\ -shnəl, -shən-ᵊl
\
adjective
\
adjective
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