Definition

1. Proper noun:

   • A set of federal programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted in the United States between 1933 and 1939: The "New Deal" refers specifically to the series of domestic policies and economic interventions introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression.
   • The historic period during which these policies were first implemented: The "New Deal" also denotes the era, approximately 1933-1940, characterized by this flurry of legislative and executive activity.

2. Noun (lowercase, general use):

   • A fundamental reassessment or reorganization of a system, with new, fairer terms: A "new deal" can describe any situation where existing arrangements are thoroughly reorganized or reapportioned to create a fresh start, often with an emphasis on fairness.

Examples

• Proper noun (historical/political context):

  • Social Security is one of the most enduring legacies of the New Deal.
  • Historians study the impact of the New Deal on American society.

• Noun (general use):

  • After the merger, employees were promised a new deal with better benefits and clearer career paths.
  • The community demanded a new deal for public transportation.

Advanced Usage

• "to get a new deal": to receive or secure a fresh arrangement or set of conditions.
  • The negotiations were tough, but we finally got a new deal on the contract.

Variants and Related Words

• New Dealer (noun): A supporter or administrator of the New Deal policies.
  • As a committed New Dealer, she worked for several government agencies in the 1930s.

Synonyms

• Reorganization: the action or process of changing the way something is organized.
• Overhaul: a thorough examination and repair or improvement of something.
• Reset: a setting of something back to the beginning or a new set of conditions.

Related Phrases

• Square deal: A fair and honest arrangement or transaction (often associated with President Theodore Roosevelt, preceding FDR).
• Fair deal: A term later used to describe the postwar domestic agenda of President Harry S. Truman, extending some New Deal ideals.

Related Idioms

• "a new deal for someone/something": A phrase used to advocate for or describe a fundamentally improved situation for a particular group or sector.
  • The mayor campaigned on a promise of a new deal for the city's schools.

Noun

1. a reapportioning of something
2. the historic period (1933-1940) in the United States during which President Franklin Roosevelt's economic policies were implemented
3. the economic policy of F. D. Roosevelt