migratory

adjective

mi·​gra·​to·​ry ˈmī-grə-ˌtȯr-ē 

1

: of, relating to, or characterized by migration

2

: wandering, roving

Synonyms

• migrant

Examples of migratory in a Sentence

most of the apple crop is picked by migratory workers

migratory birds heading south for the winter

Recent Examples on the Web

This crowd is made up of several hundred species of migratory birds, millions of individuals, that each autumn fly south as far as southern South America. —Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025

How to identify sandhill cranes There are six subspecies of Sandhill cranes in North America, and all three migratory populations (Greater, Lesser, and Canadian) are found in California. —Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025

These artificial stars, moving across the sky in a quick succession, will mar astronomical observation but potentially also confuse migratory birds. —Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 21 Oct. 2025

The discovery of 142 dead migratory birds on private land in central Canada has prompted an investigation and a search for the hunters responsible. —Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1708, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for migratory

• allegory
• amatory
• auditory
• category
• clerestory
• crematory
• desultory
• dilatory
• dormitory
• excretory
• extempore
• feudatory

Kids Definition

migratory

adjective

mi·​gra·​to·​ry ˈmī-grə-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

: having a way of life that includes making migrations

migratory workers