immigration

noun

im·​mi·​gra·​tion ˌi-mə-ˈgrā-shən How to pronounce immigration (audio)
plural immigrations
: an act or instance of immigrating
specifically : travel into a country for the purpose of permanent residence there
Especially during these months when there has been constant talk of immigration and its myriad challenges, both here and on European national borders … Bob Greene
illegal/legal immigration
immigration reform/policy/law
Drawing historical comparisons is always a fraught process, especially when the subject is as contentious as immigration. James Hannan
There is only a passing comment on Chinese and Japanese immigration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, plus a short section on the truly global wave of immigrants that swept into America after the Second World War … Nicholas Guyatt
The Middle Ages is the story of successive migrations and immigrationsJanet L. Nelson
immigrational adjective
studied the region's immigrational history

Examples of immigration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Associated Press reported Saturday that an official said federal immigration officers will target more than 300 people with histories of egregious, violent crimes after Trump takes office. Peter Breen, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2025 Its departments handle border security, immigration detention, citizenship processing, airport security, and natural disasters, among other things. Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2025 As a result of their immigration status, Martinez Zaragoza also said that these workers often do not qualify for state or federal aid during disasters. Stephanie Mendez, ABC News, 18 Jan. 2025 The Trump administration may also focus its enforcement efforts on the nearly 1.4 million people whom an immigration judge has already ordered to be removed from the country. Allison McCann, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for immigration 

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of immigration was in 1625

Dictionary Entries Near immigration

Cite this Entry

“Immigration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immigration. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

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