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.

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American Dream British  

noun

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

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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.

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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

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

But when there are no domestic sources to turn to, they are simply a tax on the American Dream.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

One of the core themes within the documentary is how we as Chicanos view the American Dream: Can we achieve it by being ourselves, or do we have to assimilate?

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026

It was the pinnacle of success, the American Dream.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 25, 2025

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