immigrate

verb

im·​mi·​grate ˈi-mə-ˌgrāt 

immigrated; immigrating

intransitive verb

: to enter and usually become established

especially : to come into a country of which one is not a native for permanent residence

My grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Italy.

transitive verb

: to bring in or send as immigrants

helped immigrate them

Examples of immigrate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 1949, her family immigrated from Cuba to the United States where Taft studied at Barnard College and received a master’s degree in biochemistry at Columbia University. —Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026

Nmanuel Roman, 53, who immigrated from Venezuela around ten years ago and worked in the oil industry, said that the news of Maduro’s capture was welcomed, but that now was the time to wait and see what happens. —Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2026

González immigrated from Colombia in November 2024, Escucha Mi Voz organizer David Goodner previously told the Iowa City Press-Citizen. —Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 10 Jan. 2026

Cabello, who grew up in Miami after immigrating from Cuba at a young age, has frequently credited the city's multicultural heartbeat for shaping her identity and sound. —Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin immigratus, past participle of immigrare to remove, go in, from in- + migrare to migrate

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for immigrate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

immigrate

verb

im·​mi·​grate ˈim-ə-ˌgrāt 

immigrated; immigrating

: to come into a foreign country to live

immigration

ˌim-ə-ˈgrā-shən 

noun