Immigrant: Definition, Usage, and Examples

Meaning 1：one who moves to live in a new country (immigrant)

immigrant 🔊

/ˈɪmɪɡrənt/

A person who moves to a new country to live there.

Illustration of an immigrant family arriving at an airport with luggage, looking at flight information.

one who moves to live in a new country 🔊

➕

/wʌn huː muːvz tə lɪv ɪn ə njuː ˈkʌntri/

This term refers to an individual who relocates from their country of origin to establish permanent residence in another nation.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'im-' (in) + 'migrare' (to move), plus '-ant' (person).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine someone moving INto (IM-) a new country as a permanent resident.

📖 Example

My neighbor is an immigrant from Italy who now runs a popular bakery in our community. 🔊 My neighbor relocated from Italy and currently operates a well-known bakery in our neighborhood.

🔗 Collocations

immigrant community – a group of people who have immigrated to the same area

illegal immigrant – a person residing in a country without legal authorization

immigrant visa – a permit allowing a person to live permanently in a new country

🔄 Synonyms

migrant (n.) – A broader term for a person who moves, often temporarily or for work, not necessarily for permanent settlement.

settler (n.) – A person who establishes a permanent residence in a new, often sparsely populated, region.

newcomer (n.) – A general term for someone who has recently arrived in a place.

🚫 Antonyms

emigrant (n.) – A person who leaves their own country to settle permanently in another.

native (n.) – A person born in or associated with a place by birth.

citizen (n.) – A legally recognized national of a state, often by birth or naturalization.

🌱 Derivatives

immigrate (v.) – To come to live permanently in a foreign country.

immigration (n.) – The action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country.

immigrational (adj.) – Relating to immigration.

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'immigrare' meaning 'to go into' or 'to move into'. Historically, it described populations moving between regions. In modern usage, it frequently appears in policy debates, demographic studies, and news about global migration.