Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “aspirational” come from?

Aspirational comes from English aspire, from Latin aspīrāre, formed from the prefix ad- meaning toward and spīrāre meaning to breathe.

aspirational (English): Being ambitious; Desiring success; Expressing a...

Definitions

  1. Being ambitious; Desiring success; Expressing a...

Ancestry of “aspirational”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishaspirationThe act of aspiring or ardently desiring; an...
2English-ationAn action or process; The result of an action or...
3Middle English-aciounForms nouns denoting an action, act, or doing,...
4Old French-ation-ation
5Latin-ātiō—
6Latin-tiō—
7Latindissertātiō—
8Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
9Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
10Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
11Latincalceusshoe
12Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
13Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “aspirational”

  • aspirationally
  • aspirationalism
  • nonaspirational
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →