aspiration

[as-puh-rey-shuhn]

noun

1. a strong desire, longing, or aim; ambition.

   intellectual aspirations.

   Synonyms: craving, yearning

2. a goal or objective that is strongly desired.

   The presidency has been his aspiration since boyhood.

3. the act of aspirating or breathing in.

4. Phonetics.

   1. articulation accompanied by an audible puff of breath, as in the h -sound of how, or of when (hwen), or in the release of initial stops, as in the k -sound of key.

   2. the use of such a speech sound, or aspirate, in pronunciation.

5. Medicine/Medical.

   1. the act of removing a fluid, as pus or serum, from a cavity of the body, by a hollow needle or trocar connected with a suction syringe.

   2. the act of inhaling fluid or a foreign body into the bronchi and lungs, often after vomiting.

aspiration

/ -trɪ, ˈæspɪrətərɪ, -trɪ, ˌæspɪˈreɪʃən, əˈspaɪrətərɪ /

noun

1. strong desire to achieve something, such as success

2. the aim of such desire

3. 1. the act of breathing

   2. a breath

4. phonetics

   1. the pronunciation of a stop with an audible and forceful release of breath

   2. the friction of the released breath

   3. an aspirated consonant

5. removal of air or fluid from a body cavity by suction

6. med

   1. the sucking of fluid or foreign matter into the air passages of the body

   2. the removal of air or fluid from the body by suction

Other Word Forms

• aspirational adjective
• superaspiration noun
• aspiratory adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of aspiration¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin aspīrātiōn-, stem of aspīrātiō “a breathing upon”; aspirate, -ion

Example Sentences

It shapes the formation of human capital—the skills, aspirations and habits that drive success.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That agreement also included an aspiration to raise this to $1.3tn from public and private sources, but there have been few concrete details about this will be achieved.

Read more on BBC

Evans last year confided about his aspirations toward fatherhood to “Access Hollywood,” saying he “absolutely” hoped to be a “superhero dad” like his “Red One” co-star Dwayne Johnson.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

As a retired, second-generation immigrant, it seems to me that the younger generation has more socialistic aspirations than we did.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Slower-than-expected EV penetration has put a lid on sales and plagued profitability aspirations.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• aim 
• ambition 
• desire 
• dream 
• eagerness 
• endeavor 
• inclination 
• longing 
• objective 
• passion 
• wish 
• yearning