refugee
Americannoun
-
a person who flees for refuge or safety, especially to a foreign country, as in time of political upheaval, war, etc.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of refugee
First recorded in 1675–85; from French réfugié “taken refuge,” past participle of réfugier “to take refuge”; equivalent to refuge + -ee
Explanation
A refugee is someone who has left a dangerous place for a less dangerous place. You could help refugees from a hurricane by bringing them food and blankets. Refuge means shelter. So a refugee is a person that seeks shelter, usually from war, natural disaster, or some other harmful situation. If you see the conditions inside a refugee camp, you will realize how hard the lives of the refugees must have been before leaving home.
Vocabulary lists containing refugee
President Obama's Farewell Address
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A Long Way Gone
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Albert Einstein
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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.
Relief workers are also worried about water contamination and disease spreading in refugee camps that have sprung up around La Guaira and Caracas.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 11, 2026
But when he saw Mexican and Venezuelan army medics giving free services at a refugee camp the government set on a golf course here, he decided to bring his whole family by for a checkup.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 11, 2026
Among them, the UN refugee agency detailed a new Legal Virtual AI Assistant for lawyers and legal officers representing refugees, enabling them to swiftly determine the rights available within country-specific legal frameworks.
From Barron's • Jul. 10, 2026
The UN's refugee agency said on Tuesday that food shortages were widespread, basic services had broken down and communications had been largely severed in La Guaira.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
They lost sight of her at the gate to the refugee camp.
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
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.
