melting pot

American  

noun

melting pots plural

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.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• melting pots
  plural

Etymology

Origin of melting pot

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

melting pot

Marcos said fans were used to that, and the team is uniquely built to represent the nation's melting pot.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

“The U.S. Open is reflective of the diverse melting pot that is New York City when it comes to style,” said Jessica Schiffer, who writes the tennis newsletter “Hard Court.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

Fox also had his own spreadsheet, built around a Control-F search for terms like tribal, immigrants, diversity, inclusion, Indigenous, Native, equity, equality, marginalized, BIPOC, solidarity, citizenship, melting pot, social justice, and gay.

From Slate ● May 14, 2026

“It’s such a melting pot, but you have this beautiful, focused bonding,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026

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