immigrate
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to come to a country of which one is not a native, usually for permanent residence.
-
to pass or come into a new habitat or place, as an organism.
verb (used with object)
verb
-
(intr) to come to a place or country of which one is not a native in order to settle there Compare emigrate
-
(intr) (of an animal or plant) to migrate to a new geographical area
-
(tr) to introduce or bring in as an immigrant
Synonym Usage
See migrate.
Other Word Forms
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.”
Vocabulary lists containing immigrate
Dear Martin
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!
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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!
30 GRE Words Beginning with "I"
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 1932, the rise of Nazism compelled him to immigrate to the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
But lawyers told Barron’s that most of their wealthy foreign clients who want to immigrate aren’t applying for the Gold Card—they’re pursuing other options.
From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026
“I couldn’t have sold that 1st taco if my parents didn’t make the difficult decision to leave their homeland for a better life & immigrate to the U.S.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026
“But if I’m a family of four and I want to immigrate to the U.S., that’s $4 million, so that gets a little pricey,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 7, 2025
My mother was six months’ pregnant when she decided that she would have to be the one to immigrate to the United States with my brothers because my dad was constantly being watched.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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.
