immigration
noun
im·mi·gra·tion
ˌi-mə-ˈgrā-shən 
plural immigrations
: an act or instance of immigrating
specifically
: travel into a country for the purpose of permanent residence there
Especially during these months when there has been constant talk of immigration and its myriad challenges, both here and on European national borders … —
Bob Greene
Bob Greene illegal/legal immigration
immigration reform/policy/law
Drawing historical comparisons is always a fraught process, especially when the subject is as contentious as immigration. —James Hannan
James Hannan There is only a passing comment on Chinese and Japanese immigration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, plus a short section on the truly global wave of immigrants that swept into America after the Second World War … —Nicholas Guyatt
Nicholas Guyatt The Middle Ages is the story of successive migrations and immigrations … —Janet L. Nelson
Janet L. Nelson Examples of immigration in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the days before the August 2024 Republican primary, two of the three stories featured on Bailey’s homepage targeted the Biden administration over immigration and protections for LGBTQ+ students.
—Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 24 Sep. 2025
In order to increase the number of intakes, Carney — who inherited eroded public support for mass immigration — will have to restore public confidence in the system and rebuild consensus around welcoming newcomers.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2025
In June, several demonstrations erupted in Los Angeles in response to a series of immigration raids carried out by the federal agency.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Australia stopped stamping most passports in 2012 in favor of electronic immigration records, and New Zealand followed suit in 2016.
—Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for immigration
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.
Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 24 Sep. 2025
In order to increase the number of intakes, Carney — who inherited eroded public support for mass immigration — will have to restore public confidence in the system and rebuild consensus around welcoming newcomers.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2025
In June, several demonstrations erupted in Los Angeles in response to a series of immigration raids carried out by the federal agency.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Australia stopped stamping most passports in 2012 in favor of electronic immigration records, and New Zealand followed suit in 2016.
—Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for immigration
Cite this Entry
“Immigration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immigration. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share