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
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
Sophie Carson is a general assignment reporter who reports on religion and faith, immigrants and refugees and more.
—
Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
He was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, in 2002.
—Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
The poem presents the Trojans, and the future Romans of Virgil’s own time, as both the underdogs and the oppressors, both the migrants and the colonizers, both the wretched refugees and the imperial overlords.
—Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Britain had begun rebuilding, taking in refugees and moving them to safe-zone districts.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refugee
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Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
He was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, in 2002.
—Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
The poem presents the Trojans, and the future Romans of Virgil’s own time, as both the underdogs and the oppressors, both the migrants and the colonizers, both the wretched refugees and the imperial overlords.
—Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Britain had begun rebuilding, taking in refugees and moving them to safe-zone districts.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refugee
Cite this Entry
“Refugee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refugee. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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)
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