Aspirant

One who eagerly seeks to know or to obtain something. It is applied to one about to be initiated into Masonry. There seems, however, to be a shade of difference in meaning between the words candidate and aspirant. The candidate is one who asks for admission; so called from the Lat. candidatus "clothed in white," because candidates for office at Rome wore a white dress. The aspirant is one already elected and in the process of initiation, and coming from aspiro, to seek eagerly, refers to the earnestness with which he prosecutes his search for light and truth.

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_{This page is adapted from the Glossary at Phoenixmasonry — Used with permission.}