immigrant
noun
im·mi·grant
ˈi-mə-grənt 
: one that immigrates: such as
a
: a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence
b
: a plant or animal that becomes established in an area where it was previously unknown
immigrant
adjective
Did you know?
immigrant or emigrant?
Both of these words come from the Latin migrare (“to move from one place to another”), and both have definitions in English that hew closely to their etymological roots, but there is a definite difference between how you would use each one. Emigrant is used in reference to the country that has been left (“an emigrant from Canada”), while immigrant is used in reference the country that one is destined for (“an immigrant to Spain”).
Examples of immigrant in a Sentence
Millions of immigrants came to America from Europe in the 19th century.
The city has a large immigrant population.
Recent Examples on the Web
Federal prosecutors charged him with a single felony, of an undocumented immigrant possessing a gun.
—
Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 3 May 2025
More than 66,000 undocumented immigrants were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump’s first 100 days in office, the agency announced Tuesday; that’s nearly half the number arrested by ICE during the entire 2024 fiscal year.
—Stephanie Elam, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
In Florida, where almost 28% of all jobs are held by immigrants, the industry with the highest concentration of immigrant labor isn’t the resort industry but construction, in which 11.1% of employees are foreign-born.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
As a filmmaker and Filipino immigrant with experience submitting films to LGBTQ+ festivals like Frameline, Asuncion wants to bridge the knowledge gap.
—Matt Minton, Variety, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for immigrant
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Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 3 May 2025
More than 66,000 undocumented immigrants were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump’s first 100 days in office, the agency announced Tuesday; that’s nearly half the number arrested by ICE during the entire 2024 fiscal year.
—Stephanie Elam, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
In Florida, where almost 28% of all jobs are held by immigrants, the industry with the highest concentration of immigrant labor isn’t the resort industry but construction, in which 11.1% of employees are foreign-born.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
As a filmmaker and Filipino immigrant with experience submitting films to LGBTQ+ festivals like Frameline, Asuncion wants to bridge the knowledge gap.
—Matt Minton, Variety, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for immigrant
Cite this Entry
“Immigrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immigrant. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
immigrant
noun
im·mi·grant
ˈim-i-grənt
1
: a person who comes to a country to live there
2
: a plant or animal that becomes established in an area where it did not occur previously
immigrant
adjective
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