immigration
Americannoun
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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
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.
As a bilingual multimedia journalist, she covers immigration, higher education and Asian American communities.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
"What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is whether or not they are illegally in the US."
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
The government said in court that the immigration sweeps are “based on reasonable suspicion and probable cause and the Constitution.”
From Salon • May 24, 2026
Historically it's relied on overseas workers but has been hit by recent changes to immigration policies, while the UK's ageing population is only going to increase pressure on the sector.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
He was quickly on a plane to Port-au-Prince, though not without a case of nerves when he walked through immigration and showed his passport.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
