the American dream
noun phrase
variants
or the American Dream
: a happy way of living that is thought of by many Americans as something that can be achieved by anyone in the U.S. especially by working hard and becoming successful
With good jobs, a nice house, two children, and plenty of money, they believed they were living the American dream.
Examples of the American dream in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Atwood argues that growing wealth inequality is eroding faith in the American dream—the idea that hard work and a bit of luck can lead to success and prosperity.
—
Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
The team consists of many South Asian players, primarily from India, who have pursued the American dream as students, H1-B visa holders, or mid-career professionals.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Even more than a century after his death, Alger’s name continues to crop up in discussions of the American dream and social mobility—regardless of whether his work is accurately portrayed or its ideas thought plausible.
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—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Jan. 2025
One way to reverse the troubling trend of putting the American dream of homeownership out of people’s reach is to increase the amount of land on which homes can be built.
—Bonner Russell Cohen, Orange County Register, 9 Jan. 2025
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Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
The team consists of many South Asian players, primarily from India, who have pursued the American dream as students, H1-B visa holders, or mid-career professionals.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Even more than a century after his death, Alger’s name continues to crop up in discussions of the American dream and social mobility—regardless of whether his work is accurately portrayed or its ideas thought plausible.
Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Jan. 2025
One way to reverse the troubling trend of putting the American dream of homeownership out of people’s reach is to increase the amount of land on which homes can be built.
—Bonner Russell Cohen, Orange County Register, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for the American dream
Dictionary Entries Near the American dream
Cite this Entry
“The American dream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20American%20dream. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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