would-beˈwould-be ●○○ adjective 
Examples
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- The Drama Centre is a great help for all would-be actors and actresses.
- A morning rain may have kept some would-be voters home.
- And they also believe that would-be organic farmers should be encouraged with financial incentives.
- Finally, there may be costs incurred by would-be developers who attempt to produce capital gains by getting planning permission.
- No one man changed football more in this century than the would-be colliery official who drifted by chance into soccer management.
- Not only does a company interview prospective employees, the would-be employees are supposed to interview the company.
- So far, the most desperate of measures has not been taken, perhaps because would-be refugees have nowhere to run.
Longman Language Activatorto have an aim in life that you want to achieve► want
Collocations: to be something · What do you want to be when you grow up, Clare?· You don't really want to be a hairdresser, do you?to do something · I never want to work in a factory, having seen the effect it had on my father.· I want to see life, to travel the world, and write about what I see.
► aspire to formal to want a better job, way of life, position etc than the one you have now: · She was a struggling writer aspiring to fame.· He aspired to artistic perfection in all his paintings.aspire to do something: · He aspired to become President.
► would-be also wannabe informal: would-be actor/writer etc someone who hopes to be an actor, writer etc: · The Drama Centre is a great help for all would-be actors and actresses.· Moon beat all the other wannabe quarterbacks, and was signed by the Seattle Seahawks.
► aspiring: aspiring teacher/model/poet etc someone who wants to be a teacher, model, poet etc and is just starting work or training: · a part-time course for aspiring chefs· Like a lot of aspiring New York artists, Lara worked in bars and restaurants in the evenings.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► assassin
would-be actor/murderer etc someone who hopes to have a particular job or intends to do a particular thing· The would-be assassin was a member of the presidential bodyguard and of the elite Revolutionary Guard.· The closer a candidate gets to the office, the more attractive he becomes as a target for a would-be assassin.· As for his would-be assassin, the Tories took turns yesterday to plunge the knife into Mr Lamont.· His would-be assassin, presumed to be in jail, belonged to his second line of defence.· Comic-book sketches of the would-be assassins were published.
► buyer· Instead of discounts on their council houses, would-be buyers could be given grants of up to £25,000 to buy on the open market.· Auction experts also say it is important that would-be buyers do their homework.
► emigrant· Renewed unrest among would-be emigrants Unrest among would-be emigrants erupted again on April 26.· In Dresden, witnesses reported violent clashes between police and would-be emigrants desperate to board trains to the West.· The would-be emigrant faced many difficulties.
► member· Their present inability to offer these services makes them unattractive to would-be members.· In addition, there are 50 would-be members who come along on Thursday evenings for a special reduced-rate session.
► president· President Clinton has taken it very much like the would-be president in the book, Jack Stanton.
► student· These are designed to whet rather than satisfy the appetite - but short bibliographies help would-be students to delve further.· I mean, how many would-be students are actually bringing in the harvest at this moment?· Already, around 250, 000 would-be students have been turned away because the fees are too high or classrooms too small.
► thief· But yesterday he found the would-be thieves had smashed the door lock in an attempt to break in.