New Deal

noun

: the legislative and administrative program of President Franklin D. Roosevelt designed to promote economic recovery and social reform during the 1930s

also : the period of this program

New Dealer noun

New Dealish

-ˈdē-lish 

adjective

New Dealism

-ˈdē-ˌli-zəm 

noun

Examples of New Deal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The transition from agricultural employment to factory employment involved wrenching mass migration, the utter misery of the Great Depression (as well as other brutal recessions, now faded from collective memory), and the painful dealmaking of the New Deal. —Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026

The Green New Deal imagined a total economic transformation that would create millions of jobs while, necessarily, leaving fossil fuels in the ground. —David Weigel, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026

San Francisco launched the program in 2023 with $700,000 and contracted with SF New Deal, which focuses on supporting small businesses in the city. —Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026

The framework for unemployment insurance has not been updated since it was created as part of the New Deal, and the federal taxes that support the program have not changed since the 1980s. —Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from the supposed resemblance to the situation of freshness and equality of opportunity afforded by a fresh deal in a card game

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for New Deal

• abele
• alkyl
• anneal
• appeal
• cartwheel
• conceal
• congeal
• coquille
• corneal
• cornmeal
• flywheel
• foveal