immigrate

American  

[im-i-greyt] / ˈɪm ɪˌgreɪt /

verb (used without object)

• immigrates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• immigrated,
  past participle,  past
• immigrating
  present participle

1. to come to a country of which one is not a native, usually for permanent residence.

2. to pass or come into a new habitat or place, as an organism.

---

verb (used with object)

• immigrates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• immigrated,
  past participle,  past
• immigrating
  present participle

1. to introduce as settlers.

   to immigrate cheap labor.

immigrate British  

/ ˈɪmɪˌɡreɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to come to a place or country of which one is not a native in order to settle there Compare emigrate

2. (intr) (of an animal or plant) to migrate to a new geographical area

3. (tr) to introduce or bring in as an immigrant

---

Synonym Usage

See migrate.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• immigrator
  noun
• immigratory
  adjective
• unimmigrating
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• immigrating
  present
• immigrated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• immigrate
  simple
• immigrates
  simple
• have immigrated
  perfect
• has immigrated
  perfect
• am immigrating
  progressive
• are immigrating
  progressive
• is immigrating
  progressive
• have been immigrating
  perfect progressive
• has been immigrating
  perfect progressive

Past

• immigrated
  simple
• had immigrated
  perfect
• was immigrating
  progressive
• were immigrating
  progressive
• had been immigrating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will immigrate
  simple
• will have immigrated
  perfect
• will be immigrating
  progressive
• will have been immigrating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of immigrate

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin immigrātus (past participle of immigrāre “to move into”); see im- ¹, migrate

Explanation

When a person immigrates, he or she moves to a new country. During the great wave of immigration between 1880 and 1924, over 25 million Europeans immigrated to the United States. Many immigrants make significant contributions to their adopted countries. Consider Albert Einstein, the greatest physicist of the twentieth century, who immigrated to America from Germany, or the Russian-born New Yorker Irving Berlin, who wrote some of the most popular songs in the American songbook, including “White Christmas” and “God Bless America." The word immigrate comes from the Latin imigrare, which means “to move in.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

immigrate immigrates immigrated immigrating

Back in Maine, Abdi said his brother Hassan, who couldn't immigrate to the US because of visa restrictions, instead recently became a citizen of Canada.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

The SVP has brushed aside such concerns, pointing out that its proposal includes quotas allowing for around 40,000 people to immigrate to the country each year.

From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026

All of the Afghans airlifted by the U.S. to Camp As Sayliyah underwent initial security screenings and background checks for preapproval to immigrate to the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026

Then, you’ll need to discuss what this will actually cost and what kind of visa you’ll need to immigrate.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 22, 2025

I never felt like the camp was home, but I began to get used to the life there as we waited to see which country might allow us to immigrate.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson

A Central or South American who immigrates to the U.S. could see their greenhouse gas emissions double or triple, just by becoming part of the U.S. economy.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 25, 2023

Now, the likelihood of a child or teenager who immigrates to the United States “seeing themselves on the page is higher because of my work than it was for me,” he said.

From New York Times ● Sep. 5, 2022

Her 2013 debut novel, “We Need New Names,” was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for its indelible tale of a Zimbabwean girl who immigrates to the United States.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 6, 2022

Talusan’s debut memoir follows a young boy from the Philippines who immigrates to America, where she becomes a woman.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2021

Imm′igrant, one who immigrates; Immigrā′tion, act of immigrating.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various

One academic who immigrated to the United States said junk mail from the retailer helped convince her that she’d really become an American.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

Nine of the 11 starters in France’s win over Morocco either immigrated to France or are the children of immigrants from Madagascar, Lebanon, French Guiana and Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau and elsewhere.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

Lee’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Korea before he and his siblings were born, and later opened a restaurant in hopes of establishing a better life for the family.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Henry Roth was born in a Galician shtetl in what is now Ukraine, and immigrated to the U.S. as an infant.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Anyone whose family immigrated in the last century has a story to tell about how hard their relatives have worked, the contributions they make to the country, the taxes they pay.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

It was trying to unravel years of sacrifice that the couple had made since immigrating to the United States from El Salvador.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026

Yet, in the late 19th century, the number of Catholics immigrating to the U.S. surged.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026

Large numbers of deportations are one factor, he said, but besides that, some will decide against immigrating to the U.S., while others already in the country will choose to leave.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 1, 2026

The family changed their last name after immigrating to the U.S. in 1933.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025

We are a family—not perfect, not all the same, some rich, some poor, all kinds of religions and skin colors, some born in America and some immigrating here.

From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Related Words

• arrive
• migrate