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

When Pereda was first diagnosed with stage 1B cervical cancer almost a decade ago — shortly after immigrating from Mexico City — the grueling treatment taught her a lesson about self-love and health. —Katie Lauer, Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2025

The failures of the occupation of Afghanistan resurfaced in recent weeks since a 29-year-old Afghan man who immigrated to the United States in the wake of the withdrawal was charged in the shooting of two National Guardsmen blocks from the White House, killing one. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 3 Dec. 2025

Many Somalis immigrated to Minnesota beginning in the 1990s. —Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

On social media, some are critical of her choice to immigrate without papers back in 2011. —Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 3 Dec. 2025

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