noun
melting pot
MEL-ting pot
Melting pot (noun) means a place or society where people of many different nationalities, cultures and backgrounds live together and blend into something new. Example: “New York has always been a melting pot of languages and cuisines.”
noun
1
A place or society where people of many different nationalities, cultures and backgrounds live together and blend into something new.
"New York has always been a melting pot of languages and cuisines."
"The port city became a melting pot for traders from three continents."
2
chiefly British A situation in which things are being mixed up and remade, so that the outcome is not yet settled; usually in the phrase 'in the melting pot'.
"With the manager gone, the club's whole strategy is back in the melting pot."
3
literal A vessel used for melting metal or other solids.
"The scrap goes straight into the melting pot and comes out as ingots."
How to use melting pot
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA place where people from lots of different backgrounds mix together.
When to use it
Neutral to positive in most writing, but treat it with care in discussions of assimilation.
Easily confused with
salad bowl
crucible →
Common pairings
a melting pot of cultures
great melting pot
ethnic melting pot
in the melting pot
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New York has always been a _____ of languages and cuisines.
Etymology
Popularized by the British author Israel Zangwill in his play The Melting Pot (1908).
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a melting pot and a salad bowl?
A melting pot suggests different cultures blending into one shared identity, with distinct traditions fading. A salad bowl, sometimes called a mosaic, suggests groups living together while keeping their separate identities intact.
Is calling a country a melting pot a compliment?
It usually praises diversity and openness, but some people object to it because it implies minority cultures should dissolve into the majority. Salad bowl or mosaic are often preferred for that reason.
What is the meaning of melting pot?
"melting pot" (noun) means a place or society where people of many different nationalities, cultures and backgrounds live together and blend into something new.
What is another word for melting pot?
Other words for "melting pot" include cultural crossroads, mosaic, salad bowl, crucible.
