aspiration
UK: ˌæspɪˈreɪʃən | US: ˌæspəˈreɪʃən
n. a strong desire or ambition to achieve something
n. the act of breathing in; inhalation
n. (phonetics) the audible breath accompanying certain speech sounds
The word "aspiration" originates from Latin aspirare ("to breathe upon, desire"), combining ad- (to) + spirare (to breathe). The core root spir reflects the connection between breath and life force, later metaphorically extending to "desire" (as if breathing toward a goal). The suffix -ation nominalizes the action. Over time, the word retained both literal (breathing) and figurative (ambition) meanings, with the latter becoming dominant in modern usage.
Her lifelong aspiration was to become a doctor.
The patient struggled with shallow aspiration after surgery.
In linguistics, the "h" sound is marked by strong aspiration.
He spoke with quiet aspiration about his dreams.
The team shared a common aspiration to win the championship.