expat
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What does expat mean? Expat is short for expatriate—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 a person who has been forced to live in another country (such as due to having been exiled or banished), but it most commonly refers to someone who has chosen to relocate to work in the new country or to retire there. Expats 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 expat sounds like it has just about the same meaning as the word immigrant, that’s because it does. But expat 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 expat is especially applied to Westerners and used by them to refer to themselves. The word expat is commonly preceded by the person’s original nationality, as in an American expat in Paris. The word expatriate can also be used as a verb and an adjective, but expat is typically used as a noun (though it functions as an adjective in common phrases like expat community). Example: The city has such a large community of British expats that there are multiple pubs that serve as popular social spots for them.
Etymology
Origin of expat
First recorded in 1960–65; by shortening
Explanation
You're an expat if you live in a country other than the one in which you were born and raised. Some expats are sent by their companies to work in foreign countries. If your grandparents retire and buy a house in Mexico near the beach, they're expats. The word is a shortened form of expatriate, and it generally refers to anyone who has chosen to live away from their native home country, either temporarily or permanently. Expatriate comes from the Latin roots ex-, "away from," and patria, "one's native country." It first meant "one who is banished," and later "one who chooses to live abroad."
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.
"As a Lebanese, I am traumatised," a 31-year-old expat and mother of two living in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, told AFP.
From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026
Lachowitz recommends that people looking to move abroad establish contacts among those who have made a similar move, perhaps by joining local expat Facebook groups.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026
Elizabeth Shanahan, a California expat who moved from Newport Beach to Puerto Vallarta two decades ago, said that the television news made it seem as though buildings were being engulfed across the city.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
In the case of an expat who is approaching 65, you have to pay really close attention to the sign-up deadlines.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026
The place was filled with Americans, some of them tourists but many of them expat regulars.
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
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.
