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
Nominated for 10 Oscars, The Irishman sees Scorsese continuing his career-long exploration of the links between power, violence, greed, and the American dream.
—
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
We are heartened by our Bishop Michael Pham, himself a refugee, who, like so many Vietnamese refugees of that era, endured unspoken hardship to be here, who just in his person conveys a sense of hope in the American dream, and that God is with us, through thick and thin.
—Scott Santarosa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Born in Delano, California to a family of farm workers, Valdez grew up looking up to his older brother Frank, who had decided to pursue the American dream by way of education.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
This mindfulness of the American dream versus economic reality has always been embedded in Joyce Manor, which formed during the Great Recession.
—Brady Gerber, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the American dream
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Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
We are heartened by our Bishop Michael Pham, himself a refugee, who, like so many Vietnamese refugees of that era, endured unspoken hardship to be here, who just in his person conveys a sense of hope in the American dream, and that God is with us, through thick and thin.
—Scott Santarosa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Born in Delano, California to a family of farm workers, Valdez grew up looking up to his older brother Frank, who had decided to pursue the American dream by way of education.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
This mindfulness of the American dream versus economic reality has always been embedded in Joyce Manor, which formed during the Great Recession.
—Brady Gerber, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 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 2 Feb. 2026.
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