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

Their race started off heated again in 2026, with the campaigns trading claims over Bradley’s position on the legislation named for the Ukrainian refugee fatally stabbed on Charlotte’s light rail in 2025. — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 4 Nov. 2026

And the refugee crisis sparked in part by the Islamic State’s initial expansion continues to roil Europe. — S. C. M. Paine, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2026

Vang is the daughter of Hmong refugees and was first elected to the Sacramento City Council in 2020. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

Cárdenas, a civil engineer by training, was the son of President Lázaro Cárdenas, who nationalized the oil industry in 1938 and opened Mexico to refugees from the Spanish Civil War. — Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 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)