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

Once in the open water, the captain of the Barricuda 11 headed south from Palenque, the fishing boat loaded with migrants. —Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025

Levine said such motions should be granted if there is a change in the individual migrant's case, not a change in immigration policy. —Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 6 Nov. 2025

At the weekly Miami vigils, the treatment of the migrants held across the street is often a topic of discussion. —Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025

The incident took place on the grounds of Citywest, a former hotel which for the last few years has been housing migrants seeking international protection. —Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025

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