Aspirant
/ˈæs.pɪ.rənt/noun
A person who seeks to attain a goal, office, or rank.
Did you know?Aspirant ultimately traces back to Latin *aspirare*, meaning “to breathe toward” or “blow upon,” a reminder that in ancient thought, breath was power, intention, and life-force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*speer-
“to breathe, blow”
Latin
Latin
spirare
“to breathe, blow”
Latin
Latin
aspirare
“to breathe toward; to aspire to; to blow upon”
Old French
OF
aspirant
“aspiring; one who aspires”
Modern English
English
aspirant
“a person who aspires to something”