immigration

noun

im·​mi·​gra·​tion ˌi-mə-ˈgrā-shən How to pronounce immigration (audio)
plural immigrations
: an act or instance of immigrating
specifically : travel into a country for the purpose of permanent residence there
Especially during these months when there has been constant talk of immigration and its myriad challenges, both here and on European national borders … Bob Greene
illegal/legal immigration
immigration reform/policy/law
Drawing historical comparisons is always a fraught process, especially when the subject is as contentious as immigration. James Hannan
There is only a passing comment on Chinese and Japanese immigration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, plus a short section on the truly global wave of immigrants that swept into America after the Second World War … Nicholas Guyatt
The Middle Ages is the story of successive migrations and immigrationsJanet L. Nelson
immigrational adjective
studied the region's immigrational history

Examples of immigration 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.
Others have been arrested by agents at immigration courts and during routine administrative interviews. Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026 Trump defended his immigration agenda and praised Mullin as capable of advancing the administration’s border security priorities, describing him as someone who understands the importance of keeping the border secure and preventing migrant crime. Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026 The aggressive tactics used by some ICE agents there gave the agency a black eye, and gave progressive Democrats carte blanche to slam the very concept of immigration law. Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026 The event originated after the deadly turn of Operation Metro Surge, the ongoing deportation effort of undocumented immigrants by federal immigration officers in Minnesota, Barella and De Leon said this week. Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for immigration

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of immigration was in 1625

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Immigration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immigration. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

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