immigrate

verb

im·​mi·​grate ˈi-mə-ˌgrāt How to pronounce immigrate (audio)
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

transitive verb

: to bring in or send as immigrants

Examples of immigrate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Paramjit Singh, a green card holder who immigrated to the United States from India more than 30 years ago, has been in federal custody for over a month after being detained by immigration agents in Chicago on July 30, according to his attorney. Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025 Kim had immigrated to the United States from South Korea by herself at age 11. Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025 Ulyses Girado, 35, immigrated from Mexico and settled in Milwaukee's Muskego Way neighborhood. Alyssa N. Salcedo, jsonline.com, 13 Sep. 2025 In the 1988 New Fashioned, a whiskey cocktail named for the year Vang’s family immigrated to the United States from the Thai refugee camp Ban Vinai, a stately ice cube is engraved with a geometric symbol evoking traditional Hmong embroidery. The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for immigrate

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of immigrate was circa 1623

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Immigrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immigrate. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

immigrate

verb
im·​mi·​grate ˈim-ə-ˌgrāt How to pronounce immigrate (audio)
immigrated; immigrating
: to come into a foreign country to live
immigration noun

More from Merriam-Webster on immigrate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!