migrant

noun

mi·​grant ˈmī-grənt How to pronounce migrant (audio)
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

Examples of migrant in a Sentence

migrants in search of work on farms Not all birds are migrants.
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 governor, apparently not a fan of Paul’s letter to the Romans about respecting authorities, ignored the orders and continued to let migrants be shredded in the river. John Fugelsang september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025 The Special Jury Prize went to Less Than 5 Gr of Saffron, a dialogue-free short about an Iranian migrant processing trauma through cooking. Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025 In recent years, Stein says Russia has launched a variety of hybrid attacks on Poland, including weaponizing migrants and busing them to the Belarus-Polish border. September 11, NPR, 11 Sep. 2025 In a 21-page ruling, Talwani found that ICE holding an 18-year-old migrant arrested on charges of shoplifting without a bond hearing violated his due process rights. Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for migrant

Word History

Etymology

Latin migrant-, migrans, present participle of migrare

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of migrant was in 1760

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Migrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/migrant. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

migrant

noun
mi·​grant ˈmī-grənt How to pronounce migrant (audio)
: a person, animal, or plant that migrates
migrant adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on migrant

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