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apple-pie

American  
[ap-uhl-pahy] / ˈæp əlˌpaɪ /

adjective

  1. pertaining to or embodying values perceived as traditionally American, or, more broadly, as unassailable.

    apple-pie virtues of individualism and hard work;

    an apple-pie issue that no politician could vote against.


Etymology

Origin of apple-pie

First recorded in 1960–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It could have raised funds it needed elsewhere, through traditional, home-spun, apple-pie American institutions like private equity behemoths.

From Slate Jul. 12, 2023

He wasn’t into the whole all-American, apple-pie look.

From Fox News Jan. 6, 2020

Patriotism and apple-pie nostalgia, other Super Bowl ad staples, were also scant.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 4, 2019

After Ms. Luna’s father benefited from the Reagan administration’s amnesty for millions of undocumented immigrants, the family focused on living as “real apple-pie Americans,” she said.

From New York Times Oct. 14, 2018

We had a good meal, a roast chicken, new green beans, mashed potatoes, a salad, and some apple-pie and cheese.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

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