immigration

noun

im·​mi·​gra·​tion ˌi-mə-ˈgrā-shən 

plural immigrations

: an act or instance of immigrating

specifically : travel into a country for the purpose of permanent residence there

Especially during these months when there has been constant talk of immigration and its myriad challenges, both here and on European national borders …

—Bob Greene

illegal/legal immigration

immigration reform/policy/law

Drawing historical comparisons is always a fraught process, especially when the subject is as contentious as immigration.

—James Hannan

There is only a passing comment on Chinese and Japanese immigration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, plus a short section on the truly global wave of immigrants that swept into America after the Second World War …

—Nicholas Guyatt

The Middle Ages is the story of successive migrations and immigrations …

—Janet L. Nelson

immigrational

ˌi-mə-ˈgrā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

studied the region's immigrational history

Examples of immigration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Turley points out a paradox, noting that former President Barack Obama also asserted federal supremacy in immigration matters, particularly evident in the 2012 Supreme Court case Arizona v. United States. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024

But his rhetoric has taken a noticeable rightward turn in the weeks since Trump’s election victory, particularly on immigration, with Adams boosting the president-elect’s platform and appearing enthusiastic about the incoming administration. —Anthony Izaguirre and Jake Offenhartz, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024

Because of a backlogged immigration system and no permanent immigration path, some people have had TPS for decades without other means of obtaining legal status. —Astrid Galván, Axios, 7 Dec. 2024

Mexico also has a major immigration problem, Sagás said. —Cory Smith, Baltimore Sun, 7 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined above