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.
Miriam Adelson was born in Tel Aviv in 1945 after her parents immigrated from Poland and trained as a physician specializing in addiction treatment. Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025 Advertisement Maksym Harkin Karin immigrated to Israel from Ukraine, settling in Tirat HaCarmel near Haifa, northern Israel. Callum Sutherland, Time, 13 Oct. 2025 Frank Grunwald and his father immigrated to New York in 1951, and Frank moved to Indianapolis in 1987. Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 9 Oct. 2025 Her father, originally from Mexico City, immigrated in the 1980s to Twin Falls. Idaho Statesman, 3 Oct. 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 Oct. 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!