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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That rule allowed officials to deny green cards or visas to individuals deemed likely to rely on government benefits such as Medicaid or food assistance. Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 13 Nov. 2025 At 18, Frimpong got his green card and his first job, at Taco Bell. Alexandra Kirkman, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025 Donna Hughes-Brown’s husband, James Brown, is still fighting for her release after agents at O’Hare International Airport arrested her on her return from Ireland in July, despite having held her green card for over 30 years. Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025 But workers with work permits and green cards worry they too could be detained. Scott Neuman, NPR, 6 Nov. 2025 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 15 Nov. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on green card

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