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

Salt was another luxury for the impoverished migrants. —Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026

Johnson, in turn, faulted Allred for supporting the Laken Riley Act, which requires federal detention of certain migrants accused of crimes, such as theft or burglary. —Chase Rogers, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026

The Persian migrants found a land where entrepreneurship was valued and the immigrant spirit appreciated. —Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026

Republicans largely kept the focus on the large numbers of migrants who came into the country under former President Joe Biden, portraying Noem as cleaning up the former administration’s mess. —Rebecca Santana, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 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