migrant

noun

mi·​grant ˈmī-grənt How to pronounce migrant (audio)
plural migrants
: someone or something that migrates: such as
a
: a person who moves regularly in order to find work especially in harvesting crops
farms employing migrants during the growing season
b
: immigrant sense a
especially : refugee
… administration officials announced they would work to swiftly screen migrants seeking asylum at the border … and penalize people who cross illegally into the U.S. or illegally through another country on their way to the U.S. border. Colleen Long
c
: an animal (such as a gray whale, monarch butterfly, leatherback sea turtle, or Canada goose) that moves usually long distances from one habitat or geographic region to another
migrant adjective
migrant labor
migrant birds

Examples of migrant in a Sentence

migrants in search of work on farms Not all birds are migrants.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Advertisement Under fire for admitting record numbers of migrants, Trudeau’s government recently slashed the annual total allowed into the country. Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024 The young girl's rescue is another example of migrants making dangerous journeys on boats to reach Europe, CompassCollective's Katja Tempel said. Charna Flam, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024 Amerika Garcia Grewal is a lifelong resident of Eagle Pass, Texas, and a volunteer with Operation Identification, a project that works to identify the bodies of migrants discovered along the U.S.-Mexico border. Valerie Castro, NBC News, 11 Dec. 2024 Still, tens of thousands of migrants remain in the city’s care. Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 10 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for migrant 

Word History

Etymology

Latin migrant-, migrans, present participle of migrare

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of migrant was in 1760

Dictionary Entries Near migrant

Cite this Entry

“Migrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/migrant. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

migrant

noun
mi·​grant ˈmī-grənt How to pronounce migrant (audio)
: a person, animal, or plant that migrates
migrant adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on migrant

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