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
But affording that vision of the American dream would be easier with fewer children.
—
Samira Mehta, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
The land will not be available to corporations, foreign money, or other entities looking to ration the American dream back to Californians.
—Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
The story takes gamers back to the world of San Andreas, where high-level crime and low-level criminals work together and fight each other to fulfill the American dream.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Middle-income households who prize the American dream of a single-family home with a backyard in the suburbs, but who can’t afford to buy or prefer the flexibility of renting, would lose out.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the American dream
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Samira Mehta, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
The land will not be available to corporations, foreign money, or other entities looking to ration the American dream back to Californians.
—Linh Tat, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
The story takes gamers back to the world of San Andreas, where high-level crime and low-level criminals work together and fight each other to fulfill the American dream.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Middle-income households who prize the American dream of a single-family home with a backyard in the suburbs, but who can’t afford to buy or prefer the flexibility of renting, would lose out.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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 14 May. 2026.
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