expatriate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to banish (a person) from their native country.
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to withdraw (oneself ) from residence in one's native country.
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to withdraw (oneself ) from allegiance to one's country.
verb (used without object)
adjective
noun
adjective
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resident in a foreign country
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exiled or banished from one's native country
an expatriate American
noun
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a person who lives in a foreign country
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an exile; expatriate person
verb
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to exile (oneself) from one's native country or cause (another) to go into exile
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to deprive (oneself or another) of citizenship
Usage
What does expatriate mean? An expatriate is a person who has moved from their native country to another country permanently or for an extended period of time. The word expatriate can refer to people who have been forced to live in another country (such as due to having been exiled or banished), but it most commonly refers to people who have chosen to relocate to work in the new country or to retire there. Expatriates may or may not become citizens of the countries they move to, and they may or may not retain their original citizenship. If the word expatriate sounds like it has just about the same meaning as the word immigrant, that’s because it does. But expatriate is used much more narrowly. It can imply (or is at least associated with) a certain amount of wealth and privilege—things not implied by or associated with the word immigrant. The word expatriate is especially applied to Westerners and used by them to refer to themselves. A common and informal short form is expat. The act or process of becoming an expatriate is called expatriation. The word expatriate is commonly preceded by the person’s original nationality, as in an American expatriate in Paris. Expatriate can also be used as a verb meaning to withdraw one’s residence in or allegiance to their native country, or to banish a citizen. When expatriate is used as a verb, the last syllable is pronounced like ate [ eyt ]. Expatriate can also be used as an adjective describing a person who has become an expatriate or a person who has been exiled. Example: The city has such a large community of British expatriates that there are multiple pubs that serve as popular social spots for them.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has expatriatedperfect 3rd person singular
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have expatriatedperfect
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are expatriatingprogressive
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have been expatriatingperfect progressive
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expatriatingparticiple
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expatriatessingular 3rd person
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is expatriatingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am expatriatingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been expatriatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had expatriatedperfect
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were expatriatingprogressive plural
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was expatriatingprogressive singular
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expatriatedparticiple
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expatriatedsimple
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had been expatriatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of expatriate
First recorded in 1760–70; from Medieval Latin expatriātus (past participle of expatriāre “to banish”), equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + patri(a) “native land” + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
An expatriate is someone who lives in another country by choice. If you leave your split-level ranch in Ohio and move to a writers' commune in Paris for good, you've become an expatriate. Expatriate can also be a verb, so that American in Paris has expatriated. There was a scene of expatriates, or expats, living in Paris in the roaring '20s that included writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein. The word used to mean to get kicked out of your native country — it's from the French word expatrier which means "banish." The prefix ex means "out of" and the Latin patria "one's native country," but the word took a turn and now refers to people who left without getting shoved out.
Vocabulary lists containing expatriate
Not Your Father's Word List: Pater, Patr
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Born a Crime
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"What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?" Vocabulary from the short story
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In Canton, painters like Lam Qua headed ateliers devoted to Export art, adapting styles from expatriate artists such as George Chinnery to gain foreign clientele.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
Two expatriate workers were moderately hurt and four vehicles were damaged in the strike on Bukha, the Oman News Agency said.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
Petrović had become the latest victim of a concerning trend for foreign travellers and expatriate workers in West Africa's Sahel region.
From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026
Evidence is mounting that the draw of expatriate life extends beyond the cost of living.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
As a former trading colony, South Africa has always had a large expatriate community.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
