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
Now, four years on, Poppy is living the American dream.
—
Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025
The government is selling the American dream to China by way of land across these United States.
—Tracy Sachs, Sun Sentinel, 29 July 2025
His journey of being a first-generation Chinese American and having to live up to those high hopes for achieving the American dream really resonate for me.
—Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 25 July 2025
The trends in home renovations also ultimately show how the American dream has changed.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for the American dream
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.
Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025
The government is selling the American dream to China by way of land across these United States.
—Tracy Sachs, Sun Sentinel, 29 July 2025
His journey of being a first-generation Chinese American and having to live up to those high hopes for achieving the American dream really resonate for me.
—Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 25 July 2025
The trends in home renovations also ultimately show how the American dream has changed.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 24 July 2025
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 5 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share