Ellis Island

American  

noun

1. an island in upper New York Bay: a former U.S. immigrant examination station.

---

Ellis Island ¹ Cultural  

1. An island in the harbor of New York City. The chief immigration station of the United States was on Ellis Island from 1892 to 1943, a time when millions of people, especially from Europe, came to the United States.

---

Ellis Island ² Cultural  

1. Island in the harbor of New York City, southwest of Manhattan.

---

Discover More

1990 marked the opening of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.

Ellis Island lies near the Statue of Liberty, which made an impressive sight for people approaching the United States for the first time.

Part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.

From 1892 to 1954, it served as the prime immigration station of the country. Some twelve million immigrants passed through it during this time.

Example Sentences

Ms. Torghele recounts how, upon their arrival at Ellis Island in 1921, immigrants were scrutinized for signs of disease.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026

I mean, 40% of this country can trace themselves through Ellis Island, through that administration building in New York.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

He has said his family, immigrants from Europe, took the name “Ellison” after Ellis Island.

From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025

When the family endured detention at Ellis Island in 1939, the press visited to cover the story.

From Slate • Jan. 26, 2025

So Adrian Weiss and his wife, Ruth, moved into 8800 American Street in July 1924, after that long journey from Poland, and Ellis Island, and the tenements of New York City.

From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi