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

Attorneys also argued in that litigation about whether anyone but the immigrants themselves had legal standing to file lawsuits, an argument complicated by the fact that immigrants are typically unaware that their data may be turned over at all. —Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026

Originally a working-class neighborhood of Polish immigrants who raised goats in their yards—leading to the nickname Goat Prairie and later Bucktown—this Chicago enclave has evolved into a mix of independent boutiques and restaurants with a dynamic urban feel. —Hannah Howard, Midwest Living, 15 Jan. 2026

Hundreds more Venezuelan immigrants have been sent to Alligator Alcatraz, where the Miami Herald reported that two-thirds of the more than eighteen hundred migrants detained last July had essentially disappeared from public records. —Armando Ledezma, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026

In August in San Bernardino, California, multiple immigration officers swarmed the vehicle of Francisco Javier Longoria, an undocumented immigrant. —Christopher Cann, USA Today, 14 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