: a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence
b
: a plant or animal that becomes established in an area where it was previously unknown
immigrantadjective
Did you know?
immigrant or emigrant?
Both of these words come from the Latin migrare (“to move from one place to another”), and both have definitions in English that hew closely to their etymological roots, but there is a definite difference between how you would use each one. Emigrant is used in reference to the country that has been left (“an emigrant from Canada”), while immigrant is used in reference the country that one is destined for (“an immigrant to Spain”).
Millions of immigrants came to America from Europe in the 19th century. The city has a large immigrant population.
Recent Examples on the WebMy great grandfather was an immigrant who worked in the sewers. Concetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2022 My mom is an immigrant from Haiti who came to United States in 1965 to New York City. Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 24 Aug. 2022 Imran was an immigrant from Pakistan who had lived in Milwaukee for more than 10 years and worked the night shift at Yellow Cab to support his wife and children in Pakistan. Sarah Volpenhein, Journal Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2022 Sánchez was also an immigrant who had settled in Inglewood, California and hustled to make a living selling his own cassettes out of his car’s trunk. Griselda Flores, Billboard, 7 July 2022 Oscar Ortiz is an immigrant from Honduras who is starting Heritage Classical Academy, a Hillsdale public charter school in Houston that expects to open in 2023. Chelsea Sheasley, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 June 2022 Lyoya is an immigrant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Aaron Parsley, PEOPLE.com, 9 June 2022 Lyoya was an immigrant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the father of two children. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2022 Cindy Zhou, 50, first heard about Costco from a friend who is also an immigrant from China. Hannah Miao, NBC News, 7 June 2022 See More