Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: aspirer, from Latin aspirare 'to breathe on', from ad- 'to, on to' + spirare 'to breathe'

aspire

 verb
     
as‧pire [intransitive]
to desire and work towards achieving something important
aspire to
college graduates aspiring to careers in finance
aspire to do something
At that time, all serious artists aspired to go to Rome.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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