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

• 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

In September, the Congressional Budget Office projected 290,000 immigrants will be removed from the country between 2026 and 2029, which may create a labor shortage and drive up inflation. —Nino Paoli, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025

Moose Jaw was actually unusual for its welcoming of Chinese immigrants, no small achievement in the often violently racist response to Asian immigrants to North America. —JSTOR Daily, 20 Oct. 2025

Price was born in 1916 to labor-socialist Russian Jewish immigrants in the Bronx. —Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025

Protest-goers told the Idaho Statesman about a variety of motivations for showing up, mostly covering civil liberties — rights for immigrants, women and transgender people — and Trump’s authoritarian actions. —Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing immigrant

• anti-immigrant
• illegal alien/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