green card

noun

: an identity card attesting the permanent resident status of an alien in the U.S.
green-carder noun

Examples of green card in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Another student, Yaima Fuentes Pérez, 41, came from Cuba a little more than a year ago and was granted her green card just after the English-only rule came into effect. David Ovalle, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026 More than 330,000 Haitian nationals held the status as of last year, not including people who also hold green cards. Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026 That includes nearly 36,000 Cubans with naturalization applications on hold and 157,000 plus people currently in the United States trying to get green cards, nearly all of them through the Cuban Adjustment Act. Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026 An inability to pay for services on time could negatively affect visa and green card applications. Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for green card

Word History

Etymology

from the fact that it was formerly colored green

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of green card was in 1956

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Cite this Entry

“Green card.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/green%20card. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.

Legal Definition

green card

noun
: an identity card attesting the permanent resident status of an alien in the U.S.
Etymology

from the fact that it was formerly colored green

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