Gilded Age

American  

noun

1. the period in the U.S. c1870–98, characterized by a greatly expanding economy and the emergence of plutocratic influences in government and society.

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Example Sentences

Don’t Miss: Naumkeag, a Gilded Age estate in Stockbridge, where you’ll find terraced gardens and sculptural hedges—ideal fodder for a reset after time spent with screaming tweens.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

This stark contrast has created what feels like a new Gilded Age in commercial travel, experts say.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

Ford captured this at the end of his piece: American progressivism emerged out of a rejection of corruption and self-dealing in the Gilded Age.

From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026

"This is the first opportunity where it's clear I have an opening where I will finish The Gilded Age in mid-August, and go into rehearsal for Hay Fever a few days later," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Not accidentally, these novels coincided with America’s Gilded Age, the era of overnight fortunes and conspicuous spending that followed in the wake of the Civil War.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times