refugee

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

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Examples: refugee in a Sentence

Definition of refugee

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

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refugeeism

play \ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē-ˌi-zəm, ˈre-fyu̇-ˌjē-\ 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

The actress, 43, was joined by Zahara, 13, and Shiloh, 11, during a UNHCR trip to the Zataari refugee camp in Jordan back in January.

— mike miller, PEOPLE.com, "Angelina Jolie 'Is Doing Great' Amid Custody Drama with Brad Pitt, Says Source," 15 June 2018
The secret bargain in 1995 came as tens of thousands of refugees languished at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay after interception at sea.

— christopher marquis, miamiherald, "Jorge Mas Canosa dead at 58," 15 June 2018
The country has refused to take in its share of refugees to ease the pressure on Greece and Italy.

— wesley e. wright, Houston Chronicle, "Elder Law: Do you have to ‘spend down’ for Medicaid requirements?," 15 June 2018
Using the hashtag #closethedoors, Salvini tweeted that Italy would not be turned into a refugee camp.

— aryn baker, Time, "How One Migrant Ship Became a Symptom of a Sick Europe," 12 June 2018
Part of the reason many immigrants try their luck in Canada is the way the country has responded to the global refugee crisis.

— alan gomez, USA TODAY, "Canada warns immigrants in U.S. about heading north of the border," 8 June 2018
The concealing of the atrocities comes as the international community loses patience with South Sudan's civil war, which has killed tens of thousands and created Africa's largest refugee crisis since the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

— sam mednick, Fox News, "South Sudan's latest civil war atrocities kept out of sight," 7 June 2018
Her mother’s father had also died of sickness in a refugee camp.

— larissa macfarquhar, The New Yorker, "Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Comes to Terms with Global Fame," 28 May 2018
Documentary involving two American filmmakers living in a Syrian refugee camp.

— mark rapp, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Silver listings for May 11-17: "Sunset Boulevard" & More," 10 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

refugee Synonyms

Synonyms

deportee, émigré (also emigré), evacuee, exile, expatriate;

Related Words

alien, fugitive;

castoff, outcast, pariah;

loyalist, patriot;

REFUGEE Defined for English Language Learners

refugee

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

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

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)