Aspiration

n.hopeful, capablewarm

What it means

A strong hope or ambition directed toward a meaningful future achievement.

Reach for it when naming a valued direction before the outcome is secured

Her aspiration is to design homes that use less energy.

everyday
goal
the desired outcome is specific and actionable
not when A goal is more concrete and time-bound than many aspirations.
everyday
hope
positive desire is honest despite uncertainty
not when Hope can be passive, while aspiration usually points effort in a direction.
warm
dream
the hope is personally vivid and emotionally important
not when A dream may remain fanciful without commitment or a workable path.
professional
aim
the intended result guides present action
not when Aim can be modest and immediate, lacking aspiration's emotional importance.
professional
ambition
determination to achieve and advance is prominent
not when Ambition can center status or competition rather than a meaningful ideal.
formal
ideal
a guiding standard matters more than personal advancement
not when An ideal may be impossible to attain and is not always an individual ambition.
literary
calling
the goal feels like a deep vocational purpose
not when Calling adds destiny or duty that an ordinary aspiration does not claim.

career aspiration
Her career aspiration is to lead an accessible public library.
lifelong aspiration
Publishing the field guide fulfilled a lifelong aspiration.
high aspiration
A high aspiration becomes useful when paired with a next step.
aspiration to serve
His aspiration to serve shaped the courses he chose.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.