melting pot

American  

noun

1. a pot in which metals or other substances are melted or fused.

2. a country, locality, or situation in which cultural assimilation results in blending the heritage and traditions of previously distinct ethnic groups.

---

melting pot British  

noun

1. a pot in which metals or other substances are melted, esp in order to mix them

2. an area in which many races, ideas, etc, are mixed

---

melting pot Cultural  

1. A term expressing the view that immigrants to the United States have been fused or melted into a single people.

---

Etymology

Origin of melting pot

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

Example Sentences

Prof. Zaidner describes the region as a "melting pot" where different human populations came together and influenced one another.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

Their signature sound, much like the East L.A. neighborhood they grew up in, is a melting pot of influences, combining old-school cumbias, ’90s grunge, and psychedelic rock into something completely unique to them.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

Mr. Sayles notes that the U.S. is often quaintly likened to a melting pot; the reality of the country’s boiling admixture is much more dangerous and much more powerful.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

Ellaird Bailey, 77, a retired technician at a telecommunications company, settled here with his wife in 1984 so his children could grow up in this "melting pot."

From Barron's • Jan. 4, 2026

He was a melting pot of European nationalities in a single wool suit.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Related Words

• fusion
• pluralism