American Dream

American  

[uh-mer-i-kuhn dreem] / əˈmɛr ɪ kən ˈdrim /

Or American dream

noun

1. a life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the United States.

   I want to find a decent job, buy a house, have a family, and live the American dream.

2. the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American.

   The American Dream even allows us to criticize America, as part of our freedom of speech.

---

American Dream British  

noun

1. the notion that the American social, economic, and political system makes success possible for every individual

---

American Dream Cultural  

1. A phrase connoting hope for prosperity and happiness, symbolized particularly by having a house of one's own. Possibly applied at first to the hopes of immigrants, the phrase now applies to all except the very rich and suggests a confident hope that one's children's economic and social condition will be better than one's own.

---

Usage

What is the American Dream? The American Dream is the aspirational belief in the U. S. that all individuals are entitled to the opportunity for success and upward social mobility through hard work.

Etymology

Origin of American Dream

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

“The American Dream is alive, but it’s slipping out of reach for too many people — and for future generations,” Dimon said in the announcement.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

“The American Dream means you can buy a home, start a business, you can build wealth, you can afford healthcare for your family,” JPMorgan’s head of government relations, Tim Berry, said in an interview.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

For observers like her, it's no coincidence that Chinamaxxing comes as the American Dream seems to be dimming.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Conley said she wants to help rebuild a country where the middle class feels like the American Dream is still real.

From Salon • Feb. 12, 2026

He said since me and my sister were born in this country, we were born with the American Dream, like a silver spoon in our mouths.

From "Harbor Me" by Jacqueline Woodson