migration

noun

mi·​gra·​tion mī-ˈgrā-shən 

: the act, process, or an instance of migrating

watched the migration of the birds overhead

migrational

mī-ˈgrā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Examples of migration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Near Sommarøy, the Indigenous people who live in northern Norway, the Sámi, have eight seasons that follow reindeer migration. —Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2025

Winter also coincides with the monarch butterfly migration, when millions of butterflies gather in nearby mountain reserves such as El Rosario and Sierra Chincua, just a few hours from the city. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 21 Dec. 2025

Anxiety because of the level of rhetoric that is often employed when addressing usually around migration and the threats of deportation. —CBS News, 21 Dec. 2025

According to DarkSky International, outdoor lights draw turtle hatchlings away from the ocean, confuse birds during migration, and result in the death of nighttime insects. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French or Latin; French, from Latin migration-, migratio, from migratus (past participle of migrare to migrate) + -ion-, -io -ion — more at migrate

First Known Use

circa 1527, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing migration

• pre-migration

Rhymes for migration

• ablation
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation
• collation

Kids Definition

migration

noun

mi·​gra·​tion

mī-ˈgrā-shən

1

: the act or an instance of migrating

2

: a group of individuals that are migrating

Medical Definition

migration

noun

mi·​gra·​tion mī-ˈgrā-shən 

: the act, process, or an instance of migrating

migration of larval nematodes to the lungs