Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

immigration

American  
[im-i-grey-shuhn] / ˌɪm ɪˈgreɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the act of immigrating.

  2. a group or number of immigrants.


immigration British  
/ ˌɪmɪˈɡreɪʃən /

noun

  1. the movement of non-native people into a country in order to settle there

  2. the part of a port, airport, etc where government employees examine the passports, visas, etc of foreign nationals entering the country

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • anti-immigration adjective
  • immigrational adjective
  • immigratory adjective
  • nonimmigration noun
  • preimmigration noun
  • proimmigration adjective

Etymology

Origin of immigration

First recorded in 1650–60; im- 1 + migration

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 an interview with Big Bear Television, two of the sisters, Adriana Gonzalez, 20, and Citlalli Montes, 26, said federal immigration agents detained their father on Big Bear Boulevard shortly before 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

The assumption, he says, was always that the U.S. would tend to the retirement of the boomers through immigration.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

He and Bass had a tense exchange at a news conference soon after the fires, and have since clashed over immigration.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

The scheme involved Bondi sending a letter to Gov. Tim Walz, requesting the state’s voter roll information, claiming that it would help with immigration enforcement.

From Salon • Apr. 2, 2026

Minus the fact that there had been no progress in our immigration status, my parents finally felt settled in the United States.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi