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

• 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 Biden administration created the program in 2023 to allow FEMA to award grants to state, local, or nonprofit organizations that provide support services to migrants released from ICE custody. —Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025

Monterrey is a city of migrants who came from the countryside to work in this industrial city. —Karla Gachet, NPR, 3 Oct. 2025

The Court’s injunction affects not only Venezuelans but also sets precedent for similar cases involving migrants from other countries. —Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025

No More Deaths, an organization that tracks migrant deaths and provides humanitarian assistance to migrants, was unavailable to comment on Hollarsmith's detention. —David Ulloa Jr, AZCentral.com, 3 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