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 of migrant

• immigrant
• refugee
• settler
• emigrant

Examples of migrant in a Sentence

migrants in search of work on farms

Not all birds are migrants.

Recent Examples on the Web

The government of Turks and Caicos has intercepted another overcrowded boat from Haiti attempting to drop off migrants. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026

Agents working with lower-risk candidates may simply be fellow migrants who speak Thai and can help confused and scared people navigate a complex bureaucracy. — Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 2026

Now that the migrants had all but disappeared, what was left for those residing on the far edge of the American Empire? — Belén Fernández, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

While the birds that left early numbered in the thousands, the number of migrants in late September becomes millions. — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 20 Sep. 2026

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