immigration
Americannoun
-
the movement of non-native people into a country in order to settle there
-
the part of a port, airport, etc where government employees examine the passports, visas, etc of foreign nationals entering the country
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
nonimmigrationnoun
-
preimmigrationnoun
-
anti-immigrationadjective
-
immigrationaladjective
-
immigratoryadjective
-
proimmigrationadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
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!
The United States
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!
Human Geography - High School
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.
Meanwhile, public opposition to the mass-deportation push grew after immigration raids detained a 5-year-old and a daycare worker.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026
Thousands of foreign nationals -- including from Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria and Malawi -- have already headed for the borders as fringe anti-illegal immigration groups push their June 30 "deadline".
From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026
Australia's professional footballers' association is so proud of the squad's multicultural makeup that it made a video with every player listing their place of birth or family heritage to showcase the benefits of immigration.
From BBC • Jun. 18, 2026
She also questioned whether, at a time of federal immigration crackdowns, the city would end up putting noncitizens in greater danger by adding them to a voter database.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
“I can arrange for a lawyer for you, but it’s obvious you’ll be deported,” the immigration officer said evenly.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
