immigrant

[im-i-gruhnt]

noun

1. a person who migrates to another country, usually for permanent residence.

2. an organism found in a new habitat.

adjective

1. of or relating to immigrants and immigration.

   a department for immigrant affairs.

2. immigrating.

immigrant

/ ˈɪmɪɡrənt /

noun

1. 1. a person who comes to a country in order to settle there Compare emigrant

   2. ( as modifier )

      an immigrant community

2. an animal or plant that lives or grows in a region to which it has recently migrated

Other Word Forms

• nonimmigrant noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of immigrant¹

An Americanism first recorded in 1780–90; from Latin immigrant-, stem of immigrāns “moving into,” present participle of immigrāre “to move into”; equivalent to im- ¹ + migrant

Example Sentences

In 1988, the criteria was expanded to include mothers who were in racial or ethnic groups at high risk of contracting the disease, such as Southeast Asian immigrants and Alaskan natives.

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One cannot even begin to understand from the identity model, for example, why, despite injustices, immigrants have long sought entry to the United States.

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She was joined by a friend from high school, Helen Lodowsky, who said she is a legal immigrant from Colombia.

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Six U.S. residents are among the nine winners in this year’s three Nobel science categories, and three of those six are immigrants.

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While Stanford became wealthy and famous, most work was done by tens of thousands of Chinese immigrants who comprised 90% of the workforce building the Western portion.

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