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

Just consider these arrests first, if only to give victims — many immigrants themselves — consideration, too. —Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 19 Mar. 2026

House Bill 26-1276 expands protections for undocumented immigrants and creates new mandates that impact not only law enforcement but RTD and Denver International Airport. —Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026

The House will vote on a bill requiring Congress to pass a balanced budget and another allowing for the deportation of immigrants found to have abused public assistance programs. —Adam Beam, AJC.com, 18 Mar. 2026

The council said Mullin would ensure the Border Parol never lets its guard down while protecting Americans from immigrants smuggling drugs, weapons and people across the border. —Bart Jansen, USA Today, 18 Mar. 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