Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

aspiration

/ˌæspəˈɹeɪʃən/ noun

Latin root: aspīrātiō Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about aspiration at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The act of aspiring or ardently desiring; an ardent wish or desire, chiefly after what is elevated or spiritual (with common adjunct adpositions being to and of).
Riley has an aspiration to become a doctor.

noun

The action of aspirating.
A burst of air that follows the release of some consonants.
In Cambodian, aspiration is phonemic, so /p/ and /pʰ/ are different phonemes.
The withdrawal of fluid, tissue, or other substance, usually through a hollow needle from a body cavity, cyst, or tumor.

Origin

From aspirate + -ion or borrowed from Latin aspīrātiō.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word