IMMIGRANT Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

immigrant 1 of 2

noun

ˈi-mə-grənt

Definition of immigrant

as in migrant

one that leaves one place to settle in another America was founded by immigrants and they have been its lifeblood ever since

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

immigrant

2 of 2

adjective

as in expatriate

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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 immigrant

Noun

The county's promise of good-paying jobs has attracted immigrants to Elkhart and surrounding counties. — Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2026 Uganda then had a large population of Indian immigrants, who had been brought over by the British at the end of the nineteenth century to help construct railways, and who eventually established more economic autonomy and power than Black Ugandans. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026

Adjective

That same month, the administration temporarily paused the processing of immigrant visa appointments worldwide for consular officer training, though the pause is not expected to last beyond early to-mid-September. — Mariel Ferragamo, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026 Under Department of Homeland Security regulations, all immigrant detainees must receive a basic health screening within 12 hours of intake. — Vanessa Romo, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for immigrant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for immigrant

Noun

Most Haitian migrants settled in Brooklyn neighborhoods including Flatbush, East Flatbush and Crown Heights.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026
Migration remains one of the most heated political issues in Britain, despite the number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats falling to its lowest level since 2020, according to the Home Office.

— Kara Fox, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of migrant

Adjective

This is a team assembled from immigration, diaspora, and expatriate ambition, coached by an outsider who can see what insiders missed.

— Michael Morris, Time, 1 July 2026
The Stoli Group is run by Russian expatriate billionaire Yuri Shefler, who also lives in Switzerland.

— Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026

Definition of expatriate

Noun

The decision could have broad implications for descendants of Italian emigrants, particularly in North and South America, where large Italian diaspora communities have ancestral ties to Italy.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
González has witnessed the ties between Mexico and its emigrants abroad evolve over four decades, starting as a young consular officer in the administration of Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari.

— Alfredo Corchado, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026

Definition of emigrant

Adjective

Maduro’s lawyers argued in papers filed Wednesday in Manhattan federal court that the indictment must be dismissed because heads of sovereign states are immune from criminal prosecution in foreign courts.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
The recent changes followed reports that some foreign residents had been driving up home prices or evading payments for their public health insurance.

— Christine Miyawaki, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of foreign

Noun

Hundreds of drone and missile attacks have added to other strains on Jordan that include a slumping economy and volatility in the neighboring West Bank, where Israeli settlers have ramped up attacks on Palestinians.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
As the Timber fire continued to burn, firefighting crews over the weekend wrapped a historic cabin in Big Sur built by settler John Pfieiffer in a fire retardant material that looks similar to tin foil, KSBW reported.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of settler

Adjective

This time round, Horvat is on to something even more deliciously odd with a study that mashes together grief, matrimonial disharmony, the alien nature of mathematical minds, and desire’s wild pursuit of obscure objects.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
The series follows two best friends, Māori character Māui from Aotearoa and Métis character Elvis from Canada, who set out to save Māui’s grandmother after an alien bent on world destruction takes over her body.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of alien

Noun

More than 6 million Afghans fled to neighboring Iran and Pakistan, but both those countries have kicked out nearly all their Afghan refugees in recent years—even Afghans who arrived back in 1979, during the Soviet invasion.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 31 Aug. 2026
Harborview is the safety net hospital in the Seattle region for non-English speaking refugees and immigrants.

— Cara Kelly, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of refugee

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immethodical

immigrant

immigrants

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“Immigrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/immigrant. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of immigrant

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

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