migrant

noun

mi·​grant ˈmī-grənt 

plural migrants

: someone or something that migrates: such as

a

: a person who moves regularly in order to find work especially in harvesting crops

farms employing migrants during the growing season

b

: immigrant sense a

especially : refugee

… administration officials announced they would work to swiftly screen migrants seeking asylum at the border … and penalize people who cross illegally into the U.S. or illegally through another country on their way to the U.S. border.

—Colleen Long

c

: an animal (such as a gray whale, monarch butterfly, leatherback sea turtle, or Canada goose) that moves usually long distances from one habitat or geographic region to another

migrant adjective

migrant labor

migrant birds

Synonyms of migrant

• immigrant
• refugee
• settler
• emigrant

Examples of migrant in a Sentence

migrants in search of work on farms

Not all birds are migrants.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Democrat touted his experience responding to the pandemic and negotiating lower drug prices, but critics, including some inside the administration, accused him of passivity and of mishandling an influx in child migrants. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026

During the campaign, Díaz-Balart also defended his records with Venezuelan migrants, a large constituency in Doral. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026

Another agent had shown him a photo of a half-dozen migrants jammed in a porta-potty to share body heat. — Francisco Cantú, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

Abbott bused migrants from the border to Chicago, often without a clear destination or adequate clothing for harsh Illinois winters. — Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin migrant-, migrans, present participle of migrare

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing migrant

• in-migrant
• out-migrant

Kids Definition

migrant

noun

mi·​grant ˈmī-grənt 

: a person, animal, or plant that migrates

migrant adjective