migrant

noun

mi·​grant ˈmī-grənt 

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

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

• emigrant
• émigré
• emigré
• immigrant
• in-migrant
• incomer [chiefly British]
• out-migrant
• settler

Examples of migrant in a Sentence

migrants in search of work on farms

Not all birds are migrants.

Recent Examples on the Web

Although the number of migrants crossing into the U.S. has eased significantly in the past 12 months, the underlying challenges remain. —Frank Holmes, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024

Those who use Biden administration programs that allow migrants to enter the country with government's permission are exempted, including the roughly 1,500 migrants processed daily at ports of entry through an appointment system. —Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 30 Sep. 2024

Three other boats reached the Canary Islands during the night, carrying 208 migrants. —Reuters, CNN, 29 Sep. 2024

Harris aims to strengthen voter confidence in her ability to address border issues, following record numbers of migrants entering the country since 2021 under the Biden administration. —Ray Stern, The Arizona Republic, 29 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin migrant-, migrans, present participle of migrare

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing migrant

• in-migrant
• out-migrant

Kids Definition

migrant

noun

mi·​grant ˈmī-grənt 

: a person, animal, or plant that migrates

migrant adjective