Great Society

American  

noun

1. the goal of the Democratic Party under the leadership of President Lyndon B. Johnson, chiefly to enact domestic programs to improve education, provide medical care for the aged, and eliminate poverty.

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Great Society Cultural  

1. The name President Lyndon Johnson gave to his aims in domestic policy. The programs of the Great Society had several goals, including clean air and water, expanded educational opportunities, and the lessening of poverty and disease in the United States. (See War on Poverty.)

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How does great-society compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• New Deal vs. Great Society

Example Sentences

The Vietnam War was draining federal coffers, forcing Lyndon Johnson to balance military spending with domestic programs like the Great Society.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

According to a 1965 profile in Time magazine, Moyers was a key figure in assembling Johnson’s ambitious domestic policy initiatives known as the Great Society.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2025

Responding to Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society, the court continued the practice of deferring to Congress in ways that directly affected the mix between government and markets.

From Slate • May 30, 2024

Medicaid was created in 1965 as part of the Great Society programs of Lyndon B. Johnson.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 15, 2023

He would not be able to go any further with his Great Society policies to eliminate poverty and social injustice.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge