immigrant

noun

im·​mi·​grant ˈi-mə-grənt 

: one that immigrates: such as

a

: a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence

b

: a plant or animal that becomes established in an area where it was previously unknown

immigrant adjective

Did you know?

immigrant or emigrant?

Both of these words come from the Latin migrare (“to move from one place to another”), and both have definitions in English that hew closely to their etymological roots, but there is a definite difference between how you would use each one. Emigrant is used in reference to the country that has been left (“an emigrant from Canada”), while immigrant is used in reference the country that one is destined for (“an immigrant to Spain”).

Synonyms

• emigrant
• émigré
• emigré
• in-migrant
• incomer [chiefly British]
• migrant
• out-migrant
• settler

Examples of immigrant in a Sentence

Millions of immigrants came to America from Europe in the 19th century.

The city has a large immigrant population.

Recent Examples on the Web

Children of immigrants attend local schools, and their parents work in every sector of the economy, including restaurants, transportation, construction, farming and ranching, hotels, resorts and hospitals. —Benjamin Waddell, Denver Post, 22 Apr. 2025

Several have lived in Midtown hotels that the city uses to house immigrants. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025

Pope Francis will be remembered for spearheading outreach to women, immigrants and refugees, LGBTQ people, and people from other faiths. —Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025

Governor Ron DeSantis recently endorsed child labor as a fix for worker shortages caused by mass deportations and by a new state law criminalizing undocumented immigrants. —E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 22 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing immigrant

• anti-immigrant
• illegal alien/immigrant

Rhymes for immigrant

• nonimmigrant

Kids Definition

immigrant

noun

im·​mi·​grant ˈim-i-grənt 

1

: a person who comes to a country to live there

2

: a plant or animal that becomes established in an area where it did not occur previously

immigrant adjective