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aspirant

candidate

noun as-pee-RAHN Rare

Origin: Latin aspirare (to breathe toward, aspire)

Also means

aspirant officer

Usage Note

Aspirant designates someone aspiring to a role, and in the French military it is specifically the rank between sergeant-major and second lieutenant, roughly equivalent to officer cadet. The feminine aspirante is used for women at that rank or as a candidate.

Examples

"Il est aspirant dans l'armée de l'air."

Natural Translation

He is an officer cadet in the air force.

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