n.1. an ambition, goal, or any kind of desired end that might be achieved through personal effort. 2. in phonetics, the articulation of a stop consonant with a sudden plosive burst of air. In English, the consonants p, t, and k are aspirated at the beginning of a syllable but not at the end or in combination with certain other consonants (see allophone). The difference can be easily experienced by placing a finger close to one’s mouth and saying pot (aspirated) and then top and spot (unaspirated).