1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

expat

noun

ˈeks-ˌpat How to pronounce expat (audio)
Definition of expatnext
chiefly British
as in refugee
a person forced to emigrate for political reasons a network of expats in London keeps her from missing the family she left behind

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of expat Public opinion in Israel on overseas voting is split, though polls typically focus on whether expats should be allowed to cast ballots from abroad rather than retain their eligibility to vote if their center of life is elsewhere. — Natasha Mozgovaya, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 At Three Masks, African expats have been throwing down for the title. — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026 For many of the expats who make up the UAE’s workforce, the traditional financial safety nets found in parts of Europe are less extensive. — Inzamam Rashid, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 But these tiny brown lizards are actually expats from Cuba and the Bahamas. — Alex Harris august 25, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expat
refugee
Noun
  • His memoir, released Tuesday, details his early life fleeing Vietnam with his father, time in refugee camps, his life as a child actor and his triumphant return to the screen.
    — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
  • In a matter of days, at least a hundred thousand people had been displaced by the fighting, the United Nations refugee agency said.
    — Kareem Fahim, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of refugee

Browse Nearby Words

ex parte
expat
expatiate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Expat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expat. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All