refugee

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

|Updated on: 14 Aug 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

—

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

Monitoring groups say the crackdown and insurgency that followed has caused the deaths of about half a million Syrians and sent 5 million more into exile as refugees.

— louisa loveluck, chicagotribune.com, "Syrian army raises flag above city considered birthplace of uprising against Assad," 12 July 2018
Many of the players, among them captain Luka Modric, survived horrific childhoods, dodging bullets and bombs while living as refugees in their own country.

— kevin baxter, latimes.com, "Croatia advances to World Cup final with 2-1 win over England," 12 July 2018
The battle for Syria’s southwestern corner alarmed neighboring Jordan and Israel, and both allowed some Syrians to cross as refugees.

— louisa loveluck, Washington Post, "Syrian army raises flag above city considered as birthplace of uprising against Assad," 12 July 2018
The difference, of course, is that the Vietnamese were welcomed as refugees and not awaiting prosecution in the federal court system.

— philip elliott, Time, "Two Military Bases in Texas Set to House Thousands of Migrants," 25 June 2018
On the long list of other targets: Jews, who began arriving in the 1870s from Eastern Europe (more would come as refugees after World War II).

— CBS News, ""Under One Roof," at NYC's Tenement Museum," 24 June 2018
Some Palestinians fear that this American largesse could depend on Jordan eventually revoking their status as refugees.

— The Economist, "The UN’s refugee agency for Palestinians is running out of cash," 21 June 2018
Ultimately the family arrived in the U.S. as refugees and were resettled in Connecticut.

— julie shaw, Philly.com, "He survived Cambodia's killing fields, only to be shot in West Philly by man with an AK-47," 20 June 2018
Naovarath’s family came to the U.S. as refugees from Laos after the Vietnam War.

— tom hanchett, charlotteobserver, "Discover Lao sausages and more at JP To Go," 20 June 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)