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”).

Synonyms of immigrant

• migrant
• emigrant
• settler
• refugee

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

Most were immigrants from poor backgrounds, born in the Russian Empire between 1870 and 1910 and flung across the Atlantic as children or adolescents. —Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026

Topline The death of a Cuban immigrant held at an immigration detention facility in El Paso, Texas, has been ruled a homicide, multiple outlets reported on Wednesday night, citing an autopsy report released by the county medical examiner’s office. —Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

Searches like these historically required a judge's approval, but not anymore, according to an internal ICE memo from last May disclosed by two us government whistleblowers, permitting agents to use force to enter the homes of immigrants with final deportation orders. —Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026

One day after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis earlier this month, a Minnesota immigrant advocacy group reported a threefold increase in the number of people signing up to become legal observers. —Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing immigrant

• anti-immigrant

Rhymes for immigrant

• nonimmigrant

Kids 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