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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Funnily enough, Yeezy’s life now is kind of the American dream. Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026 Meanwhile, younger people don't seem to share boomers' ideas about the American dream. Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 15 June 2026 Established on November 11, 1926, Route 66 stretched more than 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, becoming a symbol of opportunity, mobility and the American dream. Daily News, 9 June 2026 The horizontal bar chart shows different circumstances, like high cost of living and expensive housing, that Americans identify as impediments to achieving the American dream. Sarah Jackson, CNBC, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for the American dream

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The American dream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20American%20dream. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster