What does aspiring mean?
Aspiring is an adjective describing a person who is actively working toward a particular ambition or career goal that they have not yet achieved. It appears almost exclusively before a noun: an aspiring actor, an aspiring novelist, an aspiring politician. The word carries a warm, hopeful connotation, emphasizing effort and potential rather than failure, which makes it a staple of journalism, education, and advertising aimed at people on the path to success. It derives from the Latin verb aspirare, meaning literally "to breathe upon or toward," the same root that gives us "aspire," "aspiration," and even "spirit." Because it signals both present striving and future promise, aspiring is useful whenever you want to describe someone's direction rather than their current standing — a young writer still honing a craft, a student preparing for medical school, or an entrepreneur building a first venture. It is standard in both British and American English and suits formal and informal registers alike.
adjectiveDirecting one's hopes or ambitions toward achieving something, especially a particular career or status; used attributively before a noun to describe someone who has not yet attained that goal.
- (of a person) seeking to attain a particular position, career, or status; ambitious but not yet established.
"The workshop offers portfolio reviews for aspiring novelists."
"She moved to London as an aspiring actress with little more than a suitcase and a headshot."
"The grant program supports aspiring scientists from underrepresented backgrounds."
It comes from the Latin aspirare — literally "to breathe toward" — so an aspiring writer is, etymologically speaking, breathing in the direction of their dream.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of aspiring
Aspiring is the present-participle form of the verb aspire, borrowed into English from Latin aspirare, meaning "to breathe toward" or "to pant after" — formed from ad- ("toward") and spirare ("to breathe"). The figurative sense of reaching ambitiously for a goal developed from this literal image of drawing breath toward something desired. The adjective use describing a would-be entrant to a profession became common in modern English. Its cognates include aspiration, aspirant, inspire, and respire, all tracing back to the Latin root spirare, "to breathe."
Related word forms
How aspiring is actually used
Almost always used attributively, directly before the noun it modifies ("an aspiring chef", not usually "the chef is aspiring"). It carries a positive connotation of drive and potential, and typically implies the goal has not yet been reached — an established professional is no longer described as aspiring.
Easily confused with aspiring
"Inspiring" means having the effect of encouraging or stimulating others, while "aspiring" describes the person who is striving toward a goal themselves.