Definition of aspirationnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word aspiration different from other nouns like it?

The words ambition and pretension are common synonyms of aspiration. While all three words mean "strong desire for advancement," aspiration implies a striving after something higher than oneself.

an aspiration to become president someday

When is it sensible to use ambition instead of aspiration?

Although the words ambition and aspiration have much in common, ambition applies to the desire for personal advancement or preferment and may suggest equally a praiseworthy or an inordinate desire.

driven by ambition

In what contexts can pretension take the place of aspiration?

While in some cases nearly identical to aspiration, pretension suggests ardent desire for recognition of accomplishment often without actual possession of the necessary ability and therefore may imply presumption.

has literary pretensions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of aspiration Rannells will play Andrew Chadwater, a district attorney with political aspirations of becoming mayor. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026 The Baltimore Ravens entered the 2025 NFL season with Super Bowl aspirations, but were left on the outside of the AFC playoff field looking in after a regular season finale loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026 Pitino acknowledged during the season that Jackson — a former five-star recruit from Our Saviour Lutheran School in the Bronx — has NBA aspirations. Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026 There are now programs offering to help such men achieve these aspirations, or something close. Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aspiration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aspiration
Noun
  • Fast-forward to the present, and the biennial format has spread across the planet as part of a global culture industry driven as much by tourism and city branding as by artistic ambitions.
    Daniel Birnbaum, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Instead, officials refocused the strategic narrative on their ambitions to degrade Iran's conventional military – especially ballistic missile – and nuclear programs.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Hosting the biggest weekend in college basketball would be ideal, Orr and Wood of Sacramento State said, a goal shared by Visit Sacramento.
    Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026
  • In 73 career regular-season games with the Sirens and Ottawa Charge, Roese has accumulated 25 points (3 goals, 22 assists).
    Twin Cities, Twin Cities, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The robotic characters break free from their restaurant resting place to cause chaos in town, while the villainous Marionette pops up to possess victims for her own nefarious purposes.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Trump has not only stolen top-secret government files, apparently for business purposes but used his office to harass and investigate his political targets.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Energy derived from replenishable sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric aim to reduce externalities tied to fossil fuels.
    byLaura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
  • The aim of the new institution will be to foster dialogues within the contemporary art community located in the larger Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
    News Desk, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • But later that month, after several employees talked about quitting, the plan was abandoned.
    Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Sketch a plan for practice, then show up even if motivation wobbles.
    Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Market reactions could become more sensitive to incoming data due to fewer clues about the Fed’s intentions.
    Paul Wachtel, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Excise Dept blend experimental electronics with South Asian identity, singing and rapping across multiple regional languages — their inclusion speaks to the label’s intention to work with artists based on the subcontinent itself, not only within the diaspora.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Guevarez had been arrested more than 20 times over the course of at least a decade, cops said, most recently in September for drug possession with intent to sell.
    Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Although Turkish officials have stopped short of declaring the incidents deliberate attacks, each interception raises the risk of escalation, whether through miscalculation, technical failure, or misinterpretation of intent.
    Steve Mollman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Artists Joshua Flores and Giesi Amaya integrated those ideas into the final product.
    Victoria Le, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
  • On the night Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis came to see our play, the actor playing Ice had an idea.
    Jeffrey Eugenides, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Aspiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aspiration. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

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