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.
In the Green New Deal discussion, though, this hypothetical meat ban effectively functioned as metaphorical shortcut for progressive political overreach. — David Rooney, The Conversation, 10 July 2026 The camp was established as part of a New Deal effort to improve living conditions for Dust Bowl migrants arriving in California. — James Ward, USA Today, 10 July 2026 Witnessing the horror of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, in 1911, would transform Frances Perkins into the central architect of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 July 2026 But Van Der Werf sees American promise in such a model, pointing to the New Deal’s Civilian Conservation Corps, which employed millions of single men aged 18 to 25. — Richard Morgan, Time, 29 June 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 12 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on New Deal

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about New Deal

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