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.

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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

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melting pot Cultural  

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

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Etymology

Origin of melting pot

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

Example Sentences

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

That’s diversity, the melting pot, the freedom we hold dear to be whatever we are.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 27, 2025

"The traditional way of making this material is by essentially a melting pot," Zhong said, referring to the Czochralski approach.

From Science Daily • Nov. 13, 2025

This dramatic change in the roster of nations making up the new America is yet another stage in the saga of this country as a melting pot of cultures and experience.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• fusion
• pluralism