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 of refugee

• 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

Blanchett will attend the event, hosted by The Traitors fan-favorite Claudia Winkleman, and will be recognized for her work with the Displacement Film Fund (DFF), an initiative supporting short films created by refugees and filmmakers living in displacement. —Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026

Burj al-Barajneh, a sprawling refugee camp, is home to upwards of 20,000 people, most of them Palestinian and Syrian. —Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026

That’s one reason the International Astronomical Union’s Office of Astronomy for Development works to bring stargazing’s therapeutic effects, such as awe, calmness, and grounding, to vulnerable groups like refugees. —Stephanie Vermillion, Outside, 16 Mar. 2026

At the end of the table, Faris, an Iranian refugee who had ended up on drugs, stroked a glass of tea. —Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026

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)