ASPIRATION Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

aspiration

noun

ˌa-spə-ˈrā-shən

Definition of aspiration

as in ambition

eager desire for personal advancement a combination of aspiration and hard work made her the top tennis player in the state

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in goal

something that one hopes or intends to accomplish college is his immediate aspiration after he graduates from high school

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Simmons remains confident in the Panthers’ championship aspirations, emphasizing the need to learn from the loss and refocus on the next challenge. — Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026 Nevertheless, the aspiration entered constitutional language. — Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026 Dykes is expected to compete for the Big 12 title, and a playoff spot, aspirations set by both he and athletic director Mike Buddie; those put TCU in the Top 25, in good time slots, and in the national conversation. — Mac Engel october 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026 Why would a hyperlocal life-drawing community in Seattle be interested in a nonfiction book about the shifting aspirations of young people in India’s small towns? — Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aspiration

Recent Examples of Synonyms for aspiration

Noun

Our ambition is to bring together creative and operational talent within a group that stays human in scale.

— Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
Collins followed up Ossoff’s presidential ambition denials on the debate stage by claiming the Democrat is playing the long game and would ultimately seek the White House.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambition

Noun

The Biden administration built it back and set a goal of admitting 125,000 refugees during the final year of his term.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
The company currently takes about a day to build a robot, with the goal of reducing the process to approximately one hour next year.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of goal

Noun

Combined with its co-founders' pledge to donate 80% of their equity and an employee donation matching program, roughly 20% of Anthropic's shares will be dedicated to public purposes, excluding any additional shares added later.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Future deployments Placing the geothermal plant on top of a natural hydrothermal vent was a one-time test for purely research and demonstration purposes, Redd said.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of purpose

Noun

Moscow has been widely accused by Western officials of running a campaign of sabotage and disruption, including with the use of drones, with the aim of undermining support for Ukraine and destabilizing European nations.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Basis trades are an arbitrage bet in which hedge funds are positioned long in cash Treasurys while shorting their corresponding futures contracts, with the aim of profiting from the price gap.

— Hugh Leask, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of aim

Noun

Perhaps more important, identification with players strengthened the relationship between viewing motivation and those intentions.

— Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 19 Oct. 2026
However, the company acknowledges that determining a model's intentions requires further analysis.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of intention

Noun

During his first two years as the Lakers coach, Redick admired Williams’ intent on the defensive end from afar and commended the forward’s willingness to defend other teams’ star players.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
The intent of the Praia Collection is to attract more international travelers.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of intent

Noun

Giving Americans $1,000 or $5,000 invested in a technology index is a straightforward idea; The source and use of the funds will likely be of great debate.

— Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Both examples demonstrate how local champions and an existing source of funding can help turn a lifesaving idea into reality.

— Meng Yang, Time, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of idea

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aspirations

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“Aspiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aspiration. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of aspiration

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