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 How to pronounce New Deal (audio)
adjective
New Dealism
-ˈdē-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce New Deal (audio)
noun

Examples of New Deal 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.
At the same time, the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation, a federal agency created as part of the New Deal in the 1930s, developed a neighborhood rating system that assessed mortgage-lending risk. — Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026 But, as Mary Okin, assistant director of Living New Deal, pointed out. — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 17 July 2026 By the nineteen-forties, the rebranding of the American salesman as an independent go-getter was well under way, powered by his—and her—exclusion from New Deal labor protections. — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 15 July 2026 By that time, though, many of the ideas Hoan had championed had made their way into the Democratic Party in the proudly pro-government New Deal. — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for New Deal

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of New Deal was in 1932

Rhymes for New Deal

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Browse Nearby Words

new-day
New Deal
New Delhi
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Cite this Entry

“New Deal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/New%20Deal. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on New Deal

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about New Deal

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