refugee

noun

ref·​u·​gee ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē 

ˈre-fyu̇-ˌjē

: one that flees

especially : a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution

refugeeism

ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē-ˌi-zəm 

ˈre-fyu̇-ˌjē-

noun

Synonyms

• exile
• fugitive
• alien
• émigré
• expatriate

Examples of refugee in a Sentence

Thousands of refugees have fled the area.

refugees began returning to their homeland after years of political unrest and war

Recent Examples on the Web

In 1999, then-Fort Dix provided temporary shelter to hundreds of Kosovo refugees amid the Kosovo War. —Arkansas Online, 20 July 2025

On January 26, 2023, Israeli soldiers, hidden in the cargo hold of a dairy truck, rode into the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, where the Magnum photographer Sakir Khader was preparing to leave for his grandmother’s home in Nablus. —M. Z. Adnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2025

Among the foreign aid cuts is $4.15 billion for programs that develop democratic institutions and economies in developing nations; $800 million for a program that delivers shelter and family reunification for refugees; and $496 million for countries hit by natural disasters and conflicts. —Sonam Sheth matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025

At least four deportees have traveled back to the refugee camps in Nepal. —Juliana Kim, NPR, 16 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

French réfugié, past participle of (se) réfugier to take refuge, from Middle French refugier, from Latin refugium

First Known Use

1685, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

refugee

noun

ref·​u·​gee ˌref-yu̇-ˈjē 

ˈref-yu̇-ˌjē

: a person who flees for safety especially to a foreign country

Etymology

from French réfugié, past participle of réfugier "to put in a place of safety," from Latin refugium "a refuge," from refugere "to run away from, escape," from re- "again, against" and fugere "to run away, flee" — related to centrifugal, fugitive

Legal Definition

refugee

noun

ref·​u·​gee ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē 

: an individual seeking refuge or asylum

especially : an individual who has left his or her native country and is unwilling or unable to return to it because of persecution or fear of persecution (as because of race, religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion)