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”).
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
The four Democratic leaders were invited to testify on sanctuary city policies for immigrants.
—
Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
It was estimated that around 54,000 immigrants entered the state between 2022 and 2023.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
This drove her to want to fight and advocate for immigrants who did not have a voice for themselves.
—Yola Robert, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Republican lawmakers planned to counter with guests to dramatize support for Trump’s ban on transgender people competing in women’s and girls’ sports as well as his crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for immigrant
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Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
It was estimated that around 54,000 immigrants entered the state between 2022 and 2023.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
This drove her to want to fight and advocate for immigrants who did not have a voice for themselves.
—Yola Robert, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Republican lawmakers planned to counter with guests to dramatize support for Trump’s ban on transgender people competing in women’s and girls’ sports as well as his crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for immigrant
Cite this Entry
“Immigrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immigrant. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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