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 plurala 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
Examples of aspiration in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The San Diego Padres enjoyed another strong regular season but once again fell short of World Series aspirations and now they’re set for some major change at the top.
—
Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
His peace initiative, backed by several Arab governments, marks an inflection point for the broader political question of Palestinian aspirations for their own nation in Gaza and the West Bank, where another 3 million Palestinians reside.
—Karl Vick, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Watch The Black Cauldron on Disney+ A heartwarming tale, Coco follows a young boy with musical aspirations despite his family's generations-old ban on music.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Vince Marrow came to Louisville from Kentucky, shocking fans everywhere, with aspirations of ACC championships and trips to the College Football Playoff.
—Payton Titus, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aspiration
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Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
His peace initiative, backed by several Arab governments, marks an inflection point for the broader political question of Palestinian aspirations for their own nation in Gaza and the West Bank, where another 3 million Palestinians reside.
—Karl Vick, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Watch The Black Cauldron on Disney+ A heartwarming tale, Coco follows a young boy with musical aspirations despite his family's generations-old ban on music.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Vince Marrow came to Louisville from Kentucky, shocking fans everywhere, with aspirations of ACC championships and trips to the College Football Playoff.
—Payton Titus, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aspiration
Cite this Entry
“Aspiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aspiration. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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