aspirant
Americannoun
adjective
noun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of aspirant
First recorded in 1730–40; from French or directly from Latin aspīrant- (stem of aspīrāns, present participle of aspīrāre ); see origin at aspire, -ant
Explanation
Ambition is the name of the game for an aspirant, a young person who sets her sights on rising to the top in her chosen field. Every young person who wishes on a star for fame and fortune is an aspirant. Used mostly as a noun, the word also works as an adjective — describing the desire to move up the corporate ladder, to receive national recognition for saving the world, or to achieve success on the Broadway stage — whatever one aspires to: "The aspirant dancer had to start her career as an understudy to the prima ballerina."
Vocabulary lists containing aspirant
Vocabulary from "John L. O'Sullivan on 'Manifest Destiny' " from 1839
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An Ember in the Ashes
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When Henry of Navarre sought to become king in the 16th century, the Protestant aspirant faced fierce opposition within Catholic France.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
Soon after, Lynch came across her headshot while preparing “Mulholland Drive,” convinced she would be perfect for Betty, a fresh-faced aspirant just arrived in the City of Angels, ready to run down her acting fantasies.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2025
She took a shot for president in 2019 and had a bad primary run, but she's hardly the first presidential aspirant to flame out in their first run.
From Salon • Sep. 13, 2024
Also discussed as a possible aspirant is former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, but, as with Ahmadinejad, whether he would be allowed to run is another question.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 1, 2024
“The moment the lower-status aspirant thinks he has located the nut under the shell, it has actually shifted, and he is too late.”
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
