migrant

noun

mi·​grant ˈmī-grənt 

plural migrants

: someone or something that migrates: such as

a

: a person who moves regularly in order to find work especially in harvesting crops

farms employing migrants during the growing season

b

: immigrant sense a

especially : refugee

… administration officials announced they would work to swiftly screen migrants seeking asylum at the border … and penalize people who cross illegally into the U.S. or illegally through another country on their way to the U.S. border.

—Colleen Long

c

: an animal (such as a gray whale, monarch butterfly, leatherback sea turtle, or Canada goose) that moves usually long distances from one habitat or geographic region to another

migrant adjective

migrant labor

migrant birds

Synonyms of migrant

• immigrant
• refugee
• settler
• emigrant

Examples of migrant in a Sentence

migrants in search of work on farms

Not all birds are migrants.

Recent Examples on the Web

Tajikistan this week launched the national ORIZ app, targeting Tajik migrants working in Russia, where access is limited to Telegram and WhatsApp. —semafor.com, 14 Nov. 2025

Klara’s parents, Sara and Adam, have entered Belgium illegally with her and are trying to reach England in a van with other migrants that is driven by people smugglers. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025

Officials began sending migrants to the facility starting in late August. —Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 14 Nov. 2025

So Annabelle, just through her own concerns, becomes responsible for all these migrants who are coming into the city. —Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin migrant-, migrans, present participle of migrare

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing migrant

• in-migrant
• out-migrant

Kids Definition

migrant

noun

mi·​grant ˈmī-grənt 

: a person, animal, or plant that migrates

migrant adjective