immigrant

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noun im·mi·grant \ ˈi-mə-grənt \

Definition of immigrant

: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

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immigrant

adjective

See immigrant defined for English-language learners

See immigrant defined for kids

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 of immigrant from the Web

This has been a harrowing year for the hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants who have put down stakes in Houston.

— simon romero and miriam jordan, New York Times, "It Was an Uneasy Time for Immigrants in Texas. Then the Rains Came.," 29 Aug. 2017
Young immigrants brought here by parents or other adult relatives were the lowest.

— mark curnutte, Cincinnati.com, "Obama program for young immigrants in danger," 25 Aug. 2017
Trump made bolstering border security and pursuit of undocumented immigrants already in the U.S. a centerpiece of his campaign for president.

— jennifer epstein, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Seeks Rebound With Rally, Focus on Immigration in Arizona," 22 Aug. 2017
Mullen tells me that fellow students call him racist and accuse him of hating immigrants.

— cam wolf, GQ, "These Schools Banned Trump Gear—Unless They Didn’t," 22 Aug. 2017
Their only child was often left alone in hotel rooms, or lived in Brooklyn with his paternal grandparents, Russian Jewish immigrants, or his aunts in New Jersey.

— lindsey bahr, Esquire, "Jerry Lewis, Comedy Legend and Tireless Telethon Host, Dies at 91," 20 Aug. 2017
After a year, Moreira enrolled in a D.C. charter school that teaches immigrants culinary skills, which led to a scholarship for the CIA, and eventually, Eleven Madison Park.

— jessica sidman, Bon Appetit, "Two Guys, Daniela Moreira, and a Pizza Truck," 14 Aug. 2017
A group called America First! plans to gather Sunday evening at Laguna’s Main Beach to rally for victims of crimes organizers say have been committed by immigrants illegally living in the U.S., according to a Facebook post.

— bryce alderton, Daily Pilot, "America First! group plans to rally Sunday in Laguna," 14 Aug. 2017
Sessions has also won support from Trump voters through his targeting of undocumented immigrants and sanctuary cities.

— sean mesidor, Essence.com, "Replacing AG Jeff Sessions With Rudy Giuliani Still Spells Trouble For Black Communities," 26 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'immigrant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of immigrant

1789

immigrant Synonyms

Synonyms

émigré (also emigré), emigrant, incomer [chiefly British], in-migrant, migrant, out-migrant, settler

Antonyms

nonimmigrant

Related Words

defector, deportee, evacuee, exile, expatriate, refugee, relocatee, repatriate; alien, foreigner, illegal, noncitizen, nonnative; colonist, newcomer, squatter; migrator, pilgrim, pioneer, trekker

Near Antonyms

aborigine, native; citizen, habitant, inhabitant, national, resident

IMMIGRANT Defined for English Language Learners

immigrant

play

noun

Definition of immigrant for English Language Learners

: a person who comes to a country to live there

IMMIGRANT Defined for Kids

immigrant

play

noun im·mi·grant \ ˈi-mi-grənt \

Definition of immigrant for Students

:a person who comes to a country to live there

Learn More about immigrant

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for immigrant Spanish Central: Translation of immigrant Nglish: Translation of immigrant for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of immigrant for Arabic speakers

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immigrant

Definition of immigrant

immigrant

From the M-W Editors

Examples of immigrant in a Sentence

Recent Examples of immigrant from the Web

First Known Use of immigrant

immigrant Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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IMMIGRANT Defined for English Language Learners

immigrant

Definition of immigrant for English Language Learners

IMMIGRANT Defined for Kids

immigrant

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