refugee

noun

ref·​u·​gee ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē How to pronounce refugee (audio)
ˈre-fyu̇-ˌjē
: one that flees
especially : a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution
refugeeism
ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē-ˌi-zəm How to pronounce refugee (audio)
ˈre-fyu̇-ˌjē-
noun

Examples of refugee in a Sentence

Thousands of refugees have fled the area. refugees began returning to their homeland after years of political unrest and war
Recent Examples on the Web The refugees are utterly dependent on the humanitarian aid that is brought in, on average, by about eighty-five trucks. Bernard Avishai, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2024 Tusk last week insisted that the Polish farmers are by and large not anti-Ukrainian, noting that many of them are the same people who have extended help to Ukrainian refugees. Vanessa Gera, Quartz, 28 Feb. 2024 The refugees live like long-term residents among Egyptians in big cities like Cairo. Aya Batrawy, NPR, 26 Feb. 2024 Then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid removed her British citizenship in February that year, and Begum’s newborn son died in a Syrian refugee camp the following month. Sophie Tanno, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024 For Hanna, these women also serve as exemplars of the grit and determination of refugees around the world. Andrew Leon Hanna, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Now, neighboring Egypt is concerned that a similar offensive in Gaza could lead to an influx of Palestinian refugees into its territory. Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 The looming battles in Rafah have heightened fears of further humanitarian catastrophe among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees packed tightly in the area. Vivian Nereim, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2024 After two years, my grandfather and his siblings were lucky to be reunited with their parents as refugees in America. Tyler Gildin, Parents, 17 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'refugee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French réfugié, past participle of (se) réfugier to take refuge, from Middle French refugier, from Latin refugium

First Known Use

1685, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of refugee was in 1685

Dictionary Entries Near refugee

Cite this Entry

“Refugee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refugee. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

refugee

noun
ref·​u·​gee ˌref-yu̇-ˈjē How to pronounce refugee (audio)
ˈref-yu̇-ˌjē
: a person who flees for safety especially to a foreign country
Etymology

from French réfugié, past participle of réfugier "to put in a place of safety," from Latin refugium "a refuge," from refugere "to run away from, escape," from re- "again, against" and fugere "to run away, flee" — related to centrifugal, fugitive

Legal Definition

refugee

noun
ref·​u·​gee ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē How to pronounce refugee (audio)
: an individual seeking refuge or asylum
especially : an individual who has left his or her native country and is unwilling or unable to return to it because of persecution or fear of persecution (as because of race, religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion)

More from Merriam-Webster on refugee

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