migrant
Americanadjective
noun
-
a person or animal that migrates.
-
a person who attempts to permanently relocate to a new country, but who may be subject to removal by the government of that country: unaccompanied child migrants.
undocumented migrants;
unaccompanied child migrants.
-
Also called migrant worker. a person who moves from place to place to get work, especially a farm laborer who harvests crops seasonally.
noun
-
a person or animal that moves from one region, place, or country to another
-
an itinerant agricultural worker who travels from one district to another
-
-
an immigrant, esp a recent one
-
( as modifier )
a migrant hostel
-
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of migrant
1665–75; < Latin migrant- (stem of migrāns ), present participle of migrāre. See migrate, -ant
Explanation
A migrant worker is someone who travels for a job––in the U.S., many farm workers migrate from Mexico every year to work on the harvest and then return home when their jobs are over. If you have traveled into a new country, you are said to have immigrated there, and you are an immigrant. An emigrant is someone who has left. Migrant doesn't refer to whether you are coming in or out––often it means someone who often travels back and forth, like migrant birds who migrate south every winter, year after year.
Vocabulary lists containing migrant
Mexico - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Mexico - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Great Depression and The New Deal
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 a French migrant camp, we heard the story of a young man from Ranya called Shwana, who had made the journey from Iraqi Kurdistan to the English Channel last year.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
The transformation also has losers: renters outside big cities, where there are fewer new jobs and shrinking public services, and urban, low-income migrant communities that have historically been more dependent on the state.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
Videos online show the British star being booed after suggesting she was unable to perform her song Illygal, about an undocumented migrant, because it could apply to members of the crowd.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
Reuters noted that roughly 300 million migrant workers live in cities but still have limited access to urban healthcare, education, and other benefits because of the hukou residency system.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
Another migrant, Darwin Zepeda Lopez, recounts what can happen in a locked boxcar.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
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.
