plural migrants
: someone or something that migrates: such as
a
: a person who moves regularly in order to find work especially in harvesting crops
farms employing migrants during the growing season
b
: immigrant sense a
especially
: refugee
… administration officials announced they would work to swiftly screen migrants seeking asylum at the border … and penalize people who cross illegally into the U.S. or illegally through another country on their way to the U.S. border. —
Colleen Long
Colleen Long
c
: an animal (such as a gray whale, monarch butterfly, leatherback sea turtle, or Canada goose) that moves usually long distances from one habitat or geographic region to another
migrant
adjective
migrant labor
migrant birds
Synonyms
Examples of migrant in a Sentence
migrants in search of work on farms
Not all birds are migrants.
Recent Examples on the Web
The rugs, and their delicate, gauzy materiality, suggest bodies of Iranian migrants and the precarity of migration.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
The majority of migrants released will not stay in Arizona, and instead have relatives and sponsor buy plane or bus tickets to go elsewhere in the United States.
—Rafael Carranza, The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2024
The Biden administration has used its executive authority to open a back door to allow thousands of migrants into the United States temporarily, while also taking steps to repair the legal refugee program.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
These internal migrants sought to escape racial violence and pursue economic and educational opportunities in their new hometowns, from New York City, Baltimore and Chicago to Oakland, Richmond and San Francisco.
—Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
What’s got migrants rushing to the U.S. southern border?
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
For instance, the office of the mayor of New York predicted that the city will spend north of $12 billion through fiscal year 2025 to accommodate more than 100,000 migrants.
—Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Apr. 2024
The Vatican additionally appeared to slam wealthy countries for tougher policies against migrants.
—Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
Related article The ‘walking route’: How an underground industry is helping migrants flee China for the US
The number of Chinese migrants illegally entering the US from Mexico has skyrocketed in recent years.
—Marlon Sorto, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024
Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
The majority of migrants released will not stay in Arizona, and instead have relatives and sponsor buy plane or bus tickets to go elsewhere in the United States.
—Rafael Carranza, The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2024
The Biden administration has used its executive authority to open a back door to allow thousands of migrants into the United States temporarily, while also taking steps to repair the legal refugee program.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
These internal migrants sought to escape racial violence and pursue economic and educational opportunities in their new hometowns, from New York City, Baltimore and Chicago to Oakland, Richmond and San Francisco.
—Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
What’s got migrants rushing to the U.S. southern border?
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
For instance, the office of the mayor of New York predicted that the city will spend north of $12 billion through fiscal year 2025 to accommodate more than 100,000 migrants.
—Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Apr. 2024
The Vatican additionally appeared to slam wealthy countries for tougher policies against migrants.
—Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
Related article The ‘walking route’: How an underground industry is helping migrants flee China for the US
The number of Chinese migrants illegally entering the US from Mexico has skyrocketed in recent years.
—Marlon Sorto, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'migrant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Migrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/migrant. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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