migrate

play

verb mi·grate \ ˈmī-ˌgrāt , mī-ˈ \

Definition of migrate

migrated; migrating

intransitive verb

1 :to move from one country, place, or locality to another

Thousands of workers migrate to this area in the summer.

2 :to pass usually periodically from one region or climate to another for feeding or breeding

The whales migrate between their feeding ground in the north and their breeding ground in the Caribbean.

3 :to change position or location in an organism or substance

filarial worms migrate within the human body

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migrator

play \ˈmī-ˌgrā-tər, mī-ˈ\ noun

See migrate defined for English-language learners

See migrate defined for kids

Examples of migrate in a Sentence

He migrates from New York to Florida each winter.
Thousands of workers migrate to this area each summer.
The whales migrate between their feeding ground in the north and their breeding ground in the Caribbean.
They followed the migrating herds of buffalo across the plains.

Recent Examples of migrate from the Web

The wolves are naturally migrating here following their reintroduction at Yellowstone National Park.

— lynda v. mapes, The Seattle Times, "Second wolf pack targeted for killing after more cattle deaths," 26 Aug. 2017
Large numbers of African-Americans migrated north, taking with them the term.

— christopher harress, AL.com, "What is the Black Belt and why is it called that?," 26 Aug. 2017
By 1967, many of the county’s 105 dealerships had migrated to Mission Valley, National City, El Cajon, Poway and other suburban outposts, located along the network of interstates then under construction.

— roger showley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Car dealerships give way to housing sites," 26 Aug. 2017
FBI investigators nicknamed Adair the Snowbird Bandit, after the old folk who migrate to warmer climes for the winter.

— jeff maysh, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Cop Who Became a Robber," 22 Aug. 2017
But Leendertz says chimps migrating in from other areas may have made up for past die-offs.

— kai kupferschmidt, Science | AAAS, "Anthrax’s cousin wreaks havoc in the rainforest," 2 Aug. 2017
The bank has also sold off or shuttered 97 branches since 2015 as more customers migrate to mobile services.

— alexander coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "Fifth Third reports $344M profit," 21 July 2017
Many mineworkers migrate from rural areas and have as many as 10 dependents.

— kevin crowley, Bloomberg.com, "Years of Gridlock Face South Africa as New Rules Hurt Mining," 13 July 2017
Located on what's known as Khem Beach on a Vietnamese island, the pool backs up onto pristine white sands and aqua beaches, allowing visitors to easily migrate from the pool to the beach.

— melissa minton, Teen Vogue, "Shell-Shaped Pool Is the Main Attraction at a Vietnam Hotel," 11 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'migrate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of migrate

Latin migratus, past participle of migrare; perhaps akin to Greek ameibein to change

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1623

See Words from the same year

Other Ecology Terms

Malthusian, anthropogenic, biomass, carbon footprint, crepuscular, niche, sere, symbiosis, taiga, tundra

MIGRATE Defined for English Language Learners

migrate

play

verb

Definition of migrate for English Language Learners

: to move from one country or place to live or work in another
of a bird or animal : to move from one area to another at different times of the year

MIGRATE Defined for Kids

migrate

play

verb mi·grate \ ˈmī-ˌgrāt \

Definition of migrate for Students

migrated; migrating

1 :to move from one country or region to another

Families migrated west in search of work.

2 :to pass from one region to another on a regular basis

Many birds migrate south for the winter.

Medical Dictionary

migrate

play

intransitive verb mi·grate \ ˈmī-ˌgrāt , mī-ˈ \

medical Definition of migrate

migrated; migrating

:to move from one place to another: as

a :to move from one site to another in a host organism especially as part of a life cycle

filarial worms migrate within the human body

b of an atom or group :to shift position within a molecule

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migratory

play \ˈmī-grə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr-\ adjective

Learn More about migrate

See words that rhyme with migrate Spanish Central: Translation of migrate Nglish: Translation of migrate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of migrate for Arabic speakers

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Examples of migrate in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of migrate

Other Ecology Terms

MIGRATE Defined for English Language Learners

migrate

Definition of migrate for English Language Learners

MIGRATE Defined for Kids

migrate

Definition of migrate for Students

Medical Dictionary

migrate

medical Definition of migrate

migratory

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