immigration
Americannoun
-
the movement of non-native people into a country in order to settle there
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the part of a port, airport, etc where government employees examine the passports, visas, etc of foreign nationals entering the country
Other Word Forms
- anti-immigration adjective
- immigrational adjective
- immigratory adjective
- nonimmigration noun
- preimmigration noun
- proimmigration adjective
Etymology
Origin of immigration
Explanation
Immigration is the process of moving to a new country to stay. New York's Ellis Island was considered a gateway for European immigration to the United States during the early 1900's. Nowadays, people immigrate through airports instead of islands. The word migration is in immigration, which is something we think of birds doing when they fly South for the winter. It's not an accident — if American birds had little passports, they'd have to go through immigration when they got to Mexico. When humans immigrate, they have to follow the rules of the new country or else they risk getting in trouble. Immigration is the act of going to a new country, while emigration refers to the process of leaving one.
Vocabulary lists containing immigration
Human Geography - Middle School
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The United States
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Human Geography - High School
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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.
The US has deported dozens of people to third countries since President Donald Trump came to power in January last year as part of its hard-line approach towards immigration.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
The US State Department said that while it did not comment on "diplomatic communications with other governments" the administration remained "unwavering" in its "commitment to end illegal and mass immigration and bolster America's border security".
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
This is important because the government enlists businesses during war and peacetime for assistance, including with immigration enforcement, cyber-security and critical mineral mining.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Villegas sued the federal government last year, after he and two other day laborers were arrested by immigration agents on June 18 as they waited at a Pasadena bus stop.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
This was the true end of our immigration nightmare.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
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.
