refugee

play

noun ref·u·gee \ ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē , ˈre-fyu̇-ˌ \

Definition of refugee

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

—

refugeeism

play \-ˌi-zəm\ noun

See refugee defined for English-language learners

See refugee defined for kids

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 of refugee from the Web

Syrian refugees might be forced to return home Anti-immigrant sentiments are not unique to Europe, of course.

— rick noack, Washington Post, "The large-scale tragedies that mostly went unnoticed, and 5 other global stories," 31 Aug. 2017
Around the world, refugees are fleeing conflicts in their home countries, the scholars among them face an additional struggle: how to save their life's work.

— Discover Magazine, "Table of Contents September 2017," 21 Aug. 2017
Claiming refugee status is basically the hardest way to get to the U.S.

— annie leibovitz, The Hive, "The Desperate Struggle for Home at the U.N.’s Largest Syrian Refugee Camp," 17 Aug. 2017
Two major international agreements govern the status of asylum-seekers at the Niagara Falls border: the 1951 United Nations convention on refugees and the 2002 Canada-United States Safe Third Country Agreement.

— brian castner, Esquire, "The Fight of His Life," 16 Aug. 2017
The teams who train there are made up of foster children, refugees, immigrants and inner city students.

— william thornton, AL.com, "Lonnie Johnson, Alabama-born inventor of Super Soaker, creating legacy," 15 Aug. 2017
Almost all support and work for refugees are paid from the government to church organizations.

— alice su, The Atlantic, "Why Germany's New Muslims Go to Mosque Less," 26 July 2017
Karachi, a huge, polyglot trading city built up from waves of refugees, is an uncomfortable appendage to the rural, backward Sindhi-speaking province of Sindh.

— The Economist, "Reconciliation is not impossible, but it will be a long, slow process," 22 July 2017
The administration also said Watson was wrong to permit more refugees to be admitted under a separate provision in Trump’s executive order.

— greg stohr, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Takes Travel Ban Dispute to U.S. Supreme Court Again," 15 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of refugee

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1685

See Words from the same year

refugee Synonyms

Synonyms

deportee, evacuee, exile, expat [chiefly British], expatriate, émigré

Related Words

alien, fugitive; castoff, outcast, pariah; loyalist, patriot

REFUGEE Defined for English Language Learners

refugee

play

noun

Definition of refugee for English Language Learners

: someone who has been forced to leave a country because of war or for religious or political reasons

REFUGEE Defined for Kids

refugee

play

noun ref·u·gee \ ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē \

Definition of refugee for Students

:a person who flees for safety (as from war) usually to a foreign country

Law Dictionary

refugee

play

noun ref·u·gee \ ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē \

legal Definition of refugee

: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)