noun
aspiration
as-puh-RAY-shuhn
noun
1
A strong hope or ambition to achieve something, especially something admirable.
"Her aspiration was to become a surgeon."
"The company has aspirations of expanding into Europe."
2
(medicine) The act of drawing out fluid or tissue from the body using suction, usually through a needle.
"The doctor performed a needle aspiration to drain the cyst."
3
(phonetics) A puff of breath released after certain consonant sounds.
"The "p" in "pin" has more aspiration than the "p" in "spin.""
How to Use Aspiration
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA goal or ambition someone strives toward; in medicine, drawing fluid out with a needle; in linguistics, a puff of air after a consonant.
Common pairings
career aspirations
aspirations for the future
Word Forms
aspirations plural, aspirations plural
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Her _____ was to become a surgeon.
Etymology
From aspire plus the suffix -ation.