migrant

noun mi·grant \ ˈmī-grənt \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of migrant

: one that migrates: such as

a : a person who moves regularly in order to find work especially in harvesting crops

b : an animal that shifts from one habitat to another

—

migrant

adjective

See migrant defined for English-language learners

See migrant defined for kids

Examples of migrant in a Sentence

migrants in search of work on farms
Not all birds are migrants.

Recent Examples of migrant from the Web

Although barred from interacting with migrants, troops could theoretically be part of joint patrols with Border Patrol officers that could carry risk.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Mattis authorizes up to 4,000 National Guard troops for US border with Mexico," 8 Apr. 2018
Though barred from interacting with migrants, troops could theoretically be part of joint patrols with Border Patrol officers that could carry risk.

— joseph tanfani, latimes.com, "Mattis authorizes up to 4,000 National Guard troops for U.S. border with Mexico," 7 Apr. 2018
After the influx of Haitian migrants, former President Barack Obama decided to begin deportations to Haiti, which had been paused since the earthquake hit.

— kate morrissey, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Lent collection money to benefit rebuilding in Haiti," 29 Mar. 2018
Eschewing facts and figures in favor of a more sensory approach, the film approximates the feel of Mexico's hottest landscape as experienced by migrants making their way toward the U.S. border.

— detroit free press staff, Detroit Free Press, "Freep Film Festival 2018: Lineup is announced," 13 Mar. 2018
Italy’s election campaign took a violent turn on Feb. 3, when an Italian man in the central town of Macerata opened fire on African migrants, wounding six of them.

— frances d'emilio, The Seattle Times, "Italians stage protests in violence-marred election campaign," 24 Feb. 2018
How does a relatively small group of New World migrants, barricaded by a challenging climate with no access to fresh genetic material, evolve such a deep bank of differences from their east Asian ancestors?

— ben potter, National Geographic, "Lost Native American Ancestor Revealed in Ancient Child’s DNA," 3 Jan. 2018
Some migrants came with tourist visas and stayed on.

— keith gessen, The New Yorker, "The Chinese Workers Who Assemble Designer Bags in Tuscany," 20 Feb. 2017
Europe, meanwhile, increasingly sees Libya’s southern border as its front line in stemming the flow of migrants.

— Bloomberg.com, "To Settle East-West Feud, Libya's Chief Rivals Take It South," 25 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'migrant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of migrant

Latin migrant-, migrans, present participle of migrare

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1672

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

migrant Synonyms

MIGRANT Defined for English Language Learners

migrant

noun

Definition of migrant for English Language Learners

: a person who goes from one place to another especially to find work
: a bird or animal that moves from one area to another at different times of the year