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.
The Trump administration and its allies defend the creation and operation of the Everglades detention facility, framing it as a model for future immigration enforcement. Yezen Saadah, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025 The drop in immigration approval follows mass deportation efforts and controversial ICE raids, including one resulting in the death of a California farmworker. Amanda Castro hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025 Sanchez, who has strongly opposed immigration enforcement, taunted ICE agents on Sunday after a farmworker died from injuries sustained from a fall during an immigration enforcement raid on a California cannabis farm. Stepheny Price , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2025 Last month state immigration advocates warned that arrests of undocumented immigrants were ramping up in the state, creating anxiety and fear in communities with people taken every day. Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 14 July 2025 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 21 Jul. 2025.

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