green card

noun

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

green-carder

ˈgrēn-ˈkär-dər 

noun

Examples of green card in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Many people come here as students, and some transition into work visas and later into permanent residents with green cards. — Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 23 June 2026

By 2021, some forty-five thousand SIJ youth were in line for a visa and green card. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 20 June 2026

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ruled for a pair of green card holders who faced deportation to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. — Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026

But, to be eligible for a green card, her deportation case would have to be reopened in immigration court so her removal order is nullified. — Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 13 June 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