migrate
Americanverb (used without object)
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to go from one country, region, or place to another.
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to pass periodically from one region or climate to another, as certain birds, fishes, and animals.
The birds migrate southward in the winter.
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to shift, as from one system, mode of operation, or enterprise to another.
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Physiology. (of a cell, tissue, etc.) to move from one region of the body to another, as in embryonic development.
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Chemistry.
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(of ions) to move toward an electrode during electrolysis.
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(of atoms within a molecule) to change position.
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(at British universities) to change or transfer from one college to another.
verb
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to go from one region, country, or place of abode to settle in another, esp in a foreign country
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(of birds, fishes, etc) to journey between different areas at specific times of the year
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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migratesimple
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migratessimple
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have migratedperfect
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has migratedperfect
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am migratingprogressive
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are migratingprogressive
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is migratingprogressive
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have been migratingperfect progressive
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has been migratingperfect progressive
Past
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migratedsimple
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had migratedperfect
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was migratingprogressive
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were migratingprogressive
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had been migratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of migrate
First recorded in 1690–1700; from 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
Explanation
To migrate means to move from one place to another, sometimes part of a back-and-forth pattern, and sometimes to stay. When we think of the word migrate we think of movement from place to place. Sometimes that movement is seasonal, as when birds migrate north in summer and south in winter. But sometimes a person or group will migrate from one place to another with the intention of settling there. In both cases, there is a definite shift in locales, one temporary, the other permanent.
Vocabulary lists containing migrate
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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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.
The movement was dubbed the Flamingo Revolution as the pink birds migrate to a nature reserve where the project is planned.
From Barron's • Jul. 4, 2026
"This winter they will likely migrate and go off again, and next spring they will try and rear chicks on that nest."
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
However, they can migrate to the ocean and become steelhead, where they typically grow larger before returning to their natal waters to spawn.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Fox Chairman Emeritus Rupert Murdoch raised concerns about the damage to broadcast networks such as Fox if more NFL games migrate to streaming, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
“Right. And when humans began to migrate, they took magic with them all over the world.”
From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott
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.
