green card

noun

: an identity card attesting the permanent resident status of an alien in the U.S.
green-carder noun

Examples of green card in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Estrada Juarez had lived in California for 27 years and was detained at her green card appointment in downtown Sacramento. Mathew Miranda updated March 24, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026 Those green cards have no limits. Arkansas Online, 24 Mar. 2026 This data is sold to other companies, analyzed by AI and compared against lists of people who’ve applied for asylum, temporary statuses or green cards. Jennifer Piper, Denver Post, 23 Mar. 2026 Two of the suspects are foreign nationals — Moradians, an Iranian national who has an outstanding warrant for removal from the United States, and Sarkisian, an Azerbaijani national and green card holder, prosecutors said. Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for green card

Word History

Etymology

from the fact that it was formerly colored green

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of green card was in 1956

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Green card.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/green%20card. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.

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

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