refugee

American  

[ref-yoo-jee, ref-yoo-jee] / ˌrɛf yʊˈdʒi, ˈrɛf yʊˌdʒi /

noun

1. a person who flees for refuge or safety, especially to a foreign country, as in time of political upheaval, war, etc.

2. political refugee.

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refugee British  

/ ˌrɛfjʊˈdʒiː /

noun

1. 1. a person who has fled from some danger or problem, esp political persecution

      refugees from Rwanda

   2. ( as modifier )

      a refugee camp

      a refugee problem

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Other Word Forms

• prorefugee adjective
• refugeeism noun

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

Example Sentences

The daughter of a Chinese political refugee, Liu started skating at the age of five with her life consumed by the sport as a child.

From Barron's

Alavi struggled for months, before being picked along with 25 other women for embroidery training under a programme backed by the UN refugee agency.

From Barron's

Then there's the millions, mainly women, who have left as refugees.

From BBC

"Ever since I started boiling apples in my tea water my period cramps have completely gone," reads a comment on RedNote from an American user - one of the TikTok refugees still lingering on the app.

From BBC

Archbishop Richard Moth also paid tribute to the struggles faced by refugees and reaffirmed the need to listen to victims of abuse as he was formally installed at Westminster Cathedral.

From BBC

Related Words

• alien
• displaced person
• emigrant
• evacuee
• exile
• expatriate
• foreigner