refugee
noun
ref·u·gee
ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē 
ˈre-fyu̇-ˌjē
: one that flees
especially
: a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution
Examples of refugee in a Sentence
Thousands of refugees have fled the area.
refugees began returning to their homeland after years of political unrest and war
Recent Examples on the Web
The community swelled before, during, and immediately after World War II, thanks to the arrival of Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe, reaching a peak in the 1950s of more than 1,500 members.
—
Rosario Del Valle, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2025
Nawrocki, 42, a newcomer to politics who previously ran a national remembrance institute, campaigned on a promise to ensure economic and social policies favour Poles over other nationalities, including refugees from neighbouring Ukraine.
—Anna Magdalena Lubowicka, USA Today, 3 June 2025
Views on refugees generally The poll — which sampled 1,560 U.S. adults May 22-27 — began by asking respondents for their general views on refugees, who typically flee their home country due to violence or persecution.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
On January 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending the refugee admissions program and barring the entry of refugees from all over the world, including more than 12,000 people who were booked for travel shortly after Inauguration Day.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for refugee
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Rosario Del Valle, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2025
Nawrocki, 42, a newcomer to politics who previously ran a national remembrance institute, campaigned on a promise to ensure economic and social policies favour Poles over other nationalities, including refugees from neighbouring Ukraine.
—Anna Magdalena Lubowicka, USA Today, 3 June 2025
Views on refugees generally The poll — which sampled 1,560 U.S. adults May 22-27 — began by asking respondents for their general views on refugees, who typically flee their home country due to violence or persecution.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
On January 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending the refugee admissions program and barring the entry of refugees from all over the world, including more than 12,000 people who were booked for travel shortly after Inauguration Day.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for refugee
Cite this Entry
“Refugee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refugee. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
refugee
noun
ref·u·gee
ˌref-yu̇-ˈjē
ˈref-yu̇-ˌjē
: a person who flees for safety especially to a foreign country
Etymology
from French réfugié, past participle of réfugier "to put in a place of safety," from Latin refugium "a refuge," from refugere "to run away from, escape," from re- "again, against" and fugere "to run away, flee" — related to centrifugal, fugitive
Legal Definition
refugee
noun
ref·u·gee
ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē
: an individual seeking refuge or asylum
especially
: an individual who has left his or her native country and is unwilling or unable to return to it because of persecution or fear of persecution (as because of race, religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion)
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