# American Dream

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/american-dream
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

The ideal stressing egalitarianism and that every citizen of the United States should have an equal opportunity to achieve material prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.

## Examples

- Many people move here to pursue the American Dream.
- Does the American Dream still exist for young workers today?
- Hard work is the main requirement to achieve the American Dream.
- His parents worked two jobs for years because they believed in the American Dream for their children.
- Owning a small business and buying a home are often seen as the two most important parts of the American Dream.
- She felt she lived the American Dream after starting her own company in a garage and becoming a millionaire.
- Critics argue that rising housing costs make the American Dream impossible for people who do not have a lot of money saved.
- The novel explores the disillusionment of a family that sacrificed everything to chase the American Dream, only to find that success remained perpetually out of reach.

## Origin

Of unknown origin. First attested in the 1910s. Popularized by American writer and historian James Truslow Adams in 1931. (unknown)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.