adjective
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of, relating to, or characterized by migration
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nomadic; itinerant
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of migratory
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.
Vocabulary lists containing migratory
Awkward
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World Without Fish
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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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.
Resident birds show more smarts than migratory ones, and city birds are sharper than their country brethren.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Humpback whales in the Southern Hemisphere live in well-defined pods and usually follow the same migratory routes every year, travelling between feeding areas in cold water and breeding grounds in the tropics.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
WHO officials say the outbreak is of particular concern because the Ituri Province — the region around Mongbwalu and Bunia — is considered a “commercial and migratory hub” where Uganda, Congo and South Sudan meet.
From MarketWatch • May 17, 2026
The bay is offering a rare opportunity to better understand migratory patterns and how climate change is shifting routes and food supplies.
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026
The migratory sea creatures disappeared back down into the abyss.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
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.
