refugee

noun

ref·​u·​gee ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē 

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 

ˈre-fyu̇-ˌjē-

noun

Synonyms of refugee

• exile
• fugitive
• alien
• émigré
• expatriate

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

Twenty-eight percent were people who adjusted from refugee or asylee status, and 15% obtained a green card through employment. —Rebecca Schneid, Time, 23 May 2026

The numbers show the radical transformation of America’s refugee program. —Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 22 May 2026

Bradley Fiomona Dembeasset scooped Best Actor in Rafiki Fariala’s Congo Boy for his performance as a teenage Congolese refugee surviving on his own in the Central African Republic. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 22 May 2026

The charges revolve around a 1996 incident in which the Cuban government shot down two civilian planes belonging to a group of Cuban exiles whose goal was to rescue refugees in rafts in the waters between Cuba and Florida. —Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026

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

Kids Definition

refugee

noun

ref·​u·​gee ˌref-yu̇-ˈjē 

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 

: 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)