immigrant

noun

im·mi·grant ˈi-mə-grənt

Synonyms of immigrant next

: one that immigrates: such as

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

: 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”).

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

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.

The governor’s office has declined for weeks to provide specifics to the Herald/Times about his immigration plans, including how the governor wants to assist with the detention of undocumented immigrants. —

Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2025 The Biden Administration’s recent actions include extending protection from deportation for hundreds of thousands of immigrants, and blocking oil and gas drilling across more than six hundred million acres of federal waters. —

Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2025 But after price increases stayed high recently and Trump vowed to impose hefty import tariffs and deport millions of immigrants, Fed officials trimmed their forecast from four quarter point rate cuts this year to just two. —

Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025 America would be responsible for creating an entire generation of immigrants in foster care. —

Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for immigrant