aspiration
B2Formal/Academic
Definition
Meaning
A strong hope, desire, or ambition to achieve something significant.
In phonetics, a burst of breath accompanying the pronunciation of a consonant. In medicine, the act of drawing fluid or foreign matter into the lungs or removing it by suction.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The meaning is polysemous, with a primary abstract sense (ambition) and specific technical senses in phonetics/medicine. Context determines which sense is active.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major lexical or grammatical differences in the primary (ambition) sense. Both use 'aspiration' identically for phonetics and medicine.
Connotations
In both varieties, the word for ambition carries a formal, serious, or elevated connotation, often implying a long-term, praiseworthy goal.
Frequency
Equally frequent and used in the same registers in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
aspiration for + noun phraseaspiration to + infinitiveaspiration of + gerund/nounaspiration that + clauseVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “star aspiration”
- “to nurse an aspiration”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to describe company goals or employee career goals (e.g., 'Our corporate aspirations include global market leadership').
Academic
Common in social sciences and humanities to discuss societal or individual goals (e.g., 'The study examines the educational aspirations of young people').
Everyday
Used formally to discuss personal life goals (e.g., 'Her main aspiration is to own her own home').
Technical
In phonetics: 'The phoneme /p/ has an aspirated allophone [pʰ].' In medicine: 'The patient suffered from pulmonary aspiration.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She aspires to become a barrister.
- The party aspires to win a majority in the next election.
American English
- He aspires to become a senator.
- The company aspires to be carbon-neutral by 2030.
adverb
British English
- She spoke aspirationally about her future, full of grand plans.
- He looked aspirationally at the luxury cars in the showroom.
American English
- The advertisement is designed to appeal aspirationally to a younger demographic.
- They live aspirationally beyond their actual means.
adjective
British English
- She is highly aspirational and wants to study at Oxbridge.
- The new development is aimed at aspirational homebuyers.
American English
- It's an aspirational brand, associated with luxury and success.
- The campaign targeted aspirational voters seeking economic mobility.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My aspiration is to learn English well.
- His big aspiration is to travel the world.
- She has a strong aspiration to work in medicine.
- Their main aspiration for the holiday was to relax on a beach.
- Political reform was the central aspiration of the movement.
- Despite many setbacks, he never abandoned his aspiration to start his own business.
- The policy document failed to address the fundamental aspirations of the populace for greater autonomy.
- Her artistic aspirations were tempered by the pragmatic need to earn a living.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'aspiration' as 'a-SPIRE-ation' – it's what you set your **spire** (a tall, pointed tower, symbolizing a high goal) on achieving.
Conceptual Metaphor
ASPIRATION IS A JOURNEY UPWARDS / ASPIRATION IS A TARGET (e.g., 'climb towards your aspirations', 'he hit his aspiration').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'вдохновение' (inspiration). 'Aspiration' is closer to 'стремление' or 'амбиция'.
- The phonetic/medical term 'aspiration' is a false friend of 'аспирация' (suction), which is more narrowly technical.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a direct synonym for 'inspiration'. (Incorrect: 'The film gave me aspiration.' Correct: '...gave me inspiration/ambition.')
- Using it in overly casual contexts where 'goal' or 'plan' is more natural.
Practice
Quiz
In which field would the term 'aspiration' refer to a burst of air?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Aspiration' is a goal or strong desire you work towards (e.g., a career aspiration). 'Inspiration' is a sudden motivating feeling or the source of creativity (e.g., an artist's inspiration).
Typically, it is neutral or positive, implying ambition. However, it can be viewed negatively if described as 'unrealistic aspirations', 'delusional aspirations', or 'selfish aspirations'.
Etymologically, yes. Both come from Latin 'aspirare' meaning 'to breathe upon, pant after, desire'. The phonetic sense relates to the 'breath' component, while the ambition sense relates to the 'desire' component.
Yes, it's common to use the plural ('aspirations') when referring to multiple hopes or goals. The singular is used for a single, overarching ambition.