immigrant
noun
im·mi·grant
ˈi-mə-grənt 
: one that immigrates: such as
a
: a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence
b
: a plant or animal that becomes established in an area where it was previously unknown
immigrant
adjective
Did you know?
immigrant or emigrant?
Both of these words come from the Latin migrare (“to move from one place to another”), and both have definitions in English that hew closely to their etymological roots, but there is a definite difference between how you would use each one. Emigrant is used in reference to the country that has been left (“an emigrant from Canada”), while immigrant is used in reference the country that one is destined for (“an immigrant to Spain”).
Examples of immigrant in a Sentence
Millions of immigrants came to America from Europe in the 19th century.
The city has a large immigrant population.
Recent Examples on the Web
The show follows Rauw’s Don Raúl as the young immigrant tries to make it in the big city — and along the way falls in love, experiences betrayal and even gets arrested.
—
Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2025
In one of the cases in which Antifa International intervened, dozens of activists in London last year physically prevented a busload of immigrants from being transported to a barge off southern England by slashing the vehicle’s tires and forming a blockade around the passenger bus for seven hours.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2025
In Post-Roe Texas, Amal, an Indian-American woman, grapples with an unexpected pregnancy when her path crosses with a newlywed Indian immigrant, Charulata.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
This country is nothing without the immigrants.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for immigrant
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2025
In one of the cases in which Antifa International intervened, dozens of activists in London last year physically prevented a busload of immigrants from being transported to a barge off southern England by slashing the vehicle’s tires and forming a blockade around the passenger bus for seven hours.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2025
In Post-Roe Texas, Amal, an Indian-American woman, grapples with an unexpected pregnancy when her path crosses with a newlywed Indian immigrant, Charulata.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
This country is nothing without the immigrants.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for immigrant
Cite this Entry
“Immigrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immigrant. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
immigrant
noun
im·mi·grant
ˈim-i-grənt
1
: a person who comes to a country to live there
2
: a plant or animal that becomes established in an area where it did not occur previously
immigrant
adjective
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