migratory

American  

[mahy-gruh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / ˈmaɪ grəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

Sometimes migrative

adjective

1. migrating.

2. periodically migrating.

   a migratory species; migratory workers.

3. pertaining to a migration.

   migratory movements of birds.

4. roving; nomadic; wandering.

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migratory British  

/ ˈmaɪɡrətərɪ, -trɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterized by migration

2. nomadic; itinerant

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migratory Scientific  

/ mī′grə-tôr′ē /

1. Traveling from one place to another at regular times of year, often over long distances. Salmon, whales, and swallows are all migratory animals.

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Other Word Forms

• nonmigratory adjective
• premigratory adjective
• unmigrative adjective
• unmigratory adjective

Etymology

Origin of migratory

First recorded in 1745–55; migrate + -ory ¹

Explanation

Animals that change locations with the seasons are said to be migratory. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are migratory. They spend winter in the warmer climate of Mexico, Central, and South America and then return to the eastern United States in the spring. People who move from place to place in search of work are said to be migratory. The adjective is often used in combination with the noun workers. In the United States, migratory workers travel from state to state to help bring in the harvest, often with whole families traveling together. After a cold winter, you might want to be a bit migratory yourself: you could move south to Florida in the winter and return north to Ottawa each spring.

Example Sentences

Each spring, hundreds of thousands of birds gather here to feed and rest before lifting north again, following migratory paths far older than the farms and highways that now define the valley.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Another major UN assessment, published on Tuesday as the summit opened, warned that migratory freshwater fish populations crucial to river health and sustaining the livelihoods of millions of people are in freefall and risk collapse.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

The report estimates that migratory freshwater fish populations have declined by about 81% worldwide since 1970.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

She said it was now the turn of migratory freshwater fish to benefit from coordinated action.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

“I’m sure Prof. Ezeka will be able to explain it, some sort of migratory behavior. Don’t shut the window so you don’t trap them in.”

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• seasonal
• transient