immigration

American  

[im-i-grey-shuhn] / ˌɪm ɪˈgreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of immigrating.

2. a group or number of immigrants.

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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

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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

Federal immigration agents operate in Los Angeles too.

From Los Angeles Times

Cook’s been working with Burris more than 20 years now, but until recently, the labyrinth of the immigration system wasn’t his area of expertise.

From Los Angeles Times

It came as immigration raids were taking place in each of the members’ cities.

From Los Angeles Times

We collected data the government wouldn’t provide or didn’t track, including how many U.S. citizens had been held by immigration agents.

From Salon

For the two months that federal agents have been conducting immigration raids in Minneapolis, Ana, Carlos and their son Luis have locked themselves in at home, feeling trapped behind their own deadbolt.

From Barron's

Related Words

• exodus
• migration
• travel