fireside chats

Cultural  

1. A series of informal radio addresses given by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s. In his fireside chats, Roosevelt sought to explain his policies to the American public and to calm fears about the Great Depression.

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Example Sentences

It’s no longer sufficient to rely on game coverage and fireside chats from the studio.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt later used his trademark fireside chats to communicate with an anxious public through the Great Depression and World War II.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 19, 2023

He has done so in blog posts, television interviews and fireside chats.

From New York Times • May 25, 2023

Our mood boards may sparkle with aprés ski scenes and fireside chats, but our reality is all austere resolutions and dry nights in.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2023

Between March 1933 and October 1938, Roosevelt had broadcast thirteen fireside chats about the state of the nation.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow