migrate

[ mahy-greyt ]

/ ˈmaɪ greɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR migrate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), mi·grat·ed, mi·grat·ing.

to go from one country, region, or place to another.

to pass periodically from one region or climate to another, as certain birds, fishes, and animals: The birds migrate southward in the winter.

to shift, as from one system, mode of operation, or enterprise to another.

Physiology. (of a cell, tissue, etc.) to move from one region of the body to another, as in embryonic development.

Chemistry.

(of ions) to move toward an electrode during electrolysis.
(of atoms within a molecule) to change position.

(at British universities) to change or transfer from one college to another.

Nearby words

mignon, mignonette, mignonne, migraine, migrant, migrate, migrating abscess, migration, migration inhibition test, migratory, migratory locust

Origin of migrate

1690–1700; < Latin migrātus (past participle of migrāre to move from place to place, change position or abode), equivalent to migrā- verb stem + -tus past participle suffix

Related forms

mi·gra·tor, nounin·ter·mi·grate, verb (used without object), in·ter·mi·grat·ed, in·ter·mi·grat·ing.non·mi·grat·ing, adjective, nounre·mi·grate, verb (used without object), re·mi·grat·ed, re·mi·grat·ing.

un·mi·grat·ing, adjective

Can be confused

emigrate immigrate migrate (see synonym study at the current entry)

Synonym study

1. Migrate, emigrate, immigrate are used of changing one's abode from one country or part of a country to another. To migrate is to make such a move either once or repeatedly: to migrate from Ireland to the United States. To emigrate is to leave a country, usually one's own (and take up residence in another): Each year many people emigrate from Europe. To immigrate is to enter and settle in a country not one's own: There are many inducements to immigrate to South America. Migrate is applied both to people or to animals that move from one region to another, especially periodically; the other terms are generally applied to movements of people.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for migrate

While politics tend to migrate toward the poles, humanity—and fiction, at its best—huddles in between.
The 2014 Novel of the Year|Nathaniel Rich|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Is it worth it to migrate to Las Vegas, which is said to be welcoming with open arms?
Porn Star James Deen Speaks Out Against California’s Measure B|Tricia Romano|November 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
More regular, and committed market players, tend to migrate to the Erotic Review.
The Oldest Profession Evolves—How the Web Transformed Prostitution|Gregory Gilderman|September 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Voters who back Gingrich because they think he is a strong conservative might migrate to Santorum.
Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum’s “Anti-Romney Vote” Hardly Registers|Ben Jacobs|March 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST

January and February are also prime months for spotting California gray whales off the coast as they migrate towards Baja.
Last-Minute Winter Escapes: Vieques, Scottsdale, Reykjavik, and More|Leigh Crandall|December 20, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Now and then a bird is hatched here in the North that has no impulse to migrate.
Ways of Wood Folk|William J. Long
I shall have to migrate to a village where people have more stability of character.
The King of Schnorrers|Israel Zangwill
They nest frequently in colonies; they migrate in large flocks and can often be seen in great quantities at roosting places.
Endurance Test|Alan Douglas
In North Britain, at the approach of severe weather, they flock together and migrate southwards.
British Birds in their Haunts|Rev. C. A. Johns
Drake burned the town, a deed which caused the inhabitants to migrate to Porto Bello.
On the Spanish Main|John Masefield

British Dictionary definitions for migrate

migrate

/ (maɪˈɡreɪt) /

verb (intr)

to go from one region, country, or place of abode to settle in another, esp in a foreign country

(of birds, fishes, etc) to journey between different areas at specific times of the year

Derived Forms

migrator, noun

Word Origin for migrate

C17: from Latin migrāre to change one's abode

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