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View synonyms for

aspiration

[ as-puh-rey-shuhn ]

noun

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

    intellectual aspirations.

    Synonyms: ,

  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
    1. the act of breathing
    2. a breath
  3. 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
  4. removal of air or fluid from a body cavity by suction
  5. 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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˌ辱ˈپDzԲ, adjective
  • aspiratory, adjective
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Other Word Forms

  • p·tDz· adjective
  • p·p·tDz noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of aspiration1

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

Examples have not been reviewed.

Frankly, the more trifling the crime, the better this franchise’s comedy aspirations would work.

From

This classic Eastside story centers Ana García, a headstrong teen with educational aspirations, who is often at odds with her traditional, menopausal Mexican mother, Carmen.

From

These change agents have also been acting as a source of hope and aspiration for young workers who face precarity and the drudgery of routinized work.

From

“We often have internal meetings and we talk about long term aspirations, but it’s important to note that this is not the same as forecast,” he said during an investor presentation.

From

Even the word lady has shifted over the years from being an aspiration to a term widely regarded as demeaning and disparaging.

From

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aspirateaspirational