green card

noun

variants or less commonly Green Card

plural green cards also Green Cards

: an identity card attesting the permanent resident status of an immigrant, refugee, etc. in the U.S.

To become a citizen, people generally have to have a green card for several years, … pass a background check as well as English and civics tests, and take an oath.

—Madeleine Ngo

The steps you must take to apply for a Green Card will vary depending on your individual situation.

—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

green-carder

ˈgrēn-ˈkär-dər 

noun

Examples of green card in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Walking into a green card interview in downtown Minneapolis, William Lizardo expected to take another step towards citizenship. — Conor Wight, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026

It was used to pinpoint 28 California green card holders charged last week with registering or voting as noncitizens, and another 20 individuals nationwide charged over the weekend. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Khalil, a green card holder, was arrested by immigration authorities in March 2025. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 19 Oct. 2026

The administration recently revived a federal rule that could deny green cards to immigrants who use public benefits that could include food stamps, Medicaid, housing vouchers and others. — Mikella Schuettler, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from the fact that it was formerly colored green

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for green card

• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard
• courtyard
• debarred
• diehard

Legal Definition

green card

noun

: an identity card attesting the permanent resident status of an alien in the U.S.

Etymology

from the fact that it was formerly colored green