immigrant

American  

[im-i-gruhnt] / ˈɪm ɪ grənt /

noun

• immigrants
  plural

1. 

   a person who migrates to another country, usually for permanent residence.

2. an organism found in a new habitat.

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adjective

1. of or relating to immigrants and immigration.

   a department for immigrant affairs.

2. immigrating.

immigrant British  

/ ˈɪmɪɡrənt /

noun

1. 1. a person who comes to a country in order to settle there Compare emigrant

   2. ( as modifier )

      an immigrant community

2. an animal or plant that lives or grows in a region to which it has recently migrated

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonimmigrant
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• immigrants
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of immigrant

An Americanism first recorded in 1780–90; from Latin immigrant-, stem of immigrāns “moving into,” present participle of immigrāre “to move into”; equivalent to im- ¹ + migrant

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Explanation

The United States is a country of immigrants — people who come to one country from another country, in hopes of having a better life. An inscription on the base of the Statue of Liberty welcomes new immigrants: "Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." Don't confuse the words immigrant and emigrant. If you come to a country, you are an immigrant and you emigrate from somewhere else. Ireland has many emigrants to America; America has many immigrants from Ireland. If your parents were immigrants to the United States, but you were born here, you are a citizen automatically.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

immigrant immigrants

“Talking with large shell contractors, large builders, I don’t think they fully anticipated or estimated the amount of immigrant labor that are on our job sites every day,” said Brannock, the Jacksonville builder.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Like any group of people, the Somali immigrant community contains good and bad people in it, but on the whole, their very existence is a testament to human tenacity.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

“I have made it clear that I would seek a chief who can keep Angelenos safe and restore trust with our immigrant communities.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

His experience as an immigrant living in a Western country felt like he was under constant scrutiny and surveillance, to the point that it affected his personality and his stand-up.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

“The Saprezzas are an immigrant family. Italian,” Theo says.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

The drivers, many of whom are immigrants, say the ban eliminates their livelihoods with no viable alternative offered.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

The dishonesty and hypocrisy reached stratospheric levels when audience members, including a Catholic nun, challenged Vance on his support for mass deportations and his racist lies about immigrants.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026

Police have arrested immigrants and French nationals, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

A Presbyterian seminarian, Talarico draws inspiration from Jesus's commandment to love one's neighbor, arguing that faith demands compassion for the poor, immigrants and marginalized communities.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

Many had the familiar look of newly arrived immigrants.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

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