immigrant

noun

im·​mi·​grant ˈi-mə-grənt How to pronounce immigrant (audio)
: 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”).

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 At elite universities, research shows, the Black population consists disproportionately of immigrants and children of immigrants rather than students whose ancestors were enslaved here. Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 But the large number is putting a strain even on cities like New York that have traditionally prided themselves as being receptors of immigrants from around the world. Ann E. Marimow, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Hibi almost became invisible, thanks to the American government’s mass roundup and incarceration of Japanese immigrants starting in February 1942. Alicia Ault, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024 The station, which processed some half-million immigrants from 1910-1940, remains on Angel Island and serves as the foundation of the Immigration Museum and Detention Barracks Museum and other resources that are open to the public. Sam Hurwitt, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 But this year, as the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, Duwaik said her feelings about the holy month have been complicated by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Monica Haider, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Then in 1912, Singh led an effort to turn an old farmhouse in Stockton into a one-stop shop for job seekers, legal help for new immigrants and scholarships for Indian students at UC Berkeley. Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 An undocumented immigrant has been charged with the crime. Franco Ordoñez, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024 She’s credited her passion for this work to her experience as the daughter of two Chinese immigrants. Kaitlin Stevens, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'immigrant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of immigrant was in 1789

Dictionary Entries Near immigrant

Cite this Entry

“Immigrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immigrant. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

immigrant

noun
im·​mi·​grant ˈim-i-grənt How to pronounce immigrant (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on immigrant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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