emigrant

1 of 2

noun

em·​i·​grant ˈe-mi-grənt How to pronounce emigrant (audio)
1
: one who emigrates
2
: a migrant plant or animal

emigrant

2 of 2

adjective

: departing or having departed from a country to settle elsewhere

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an emigrant and an immigrant?

Immigrant and emigrant both refer to a person leaving their own country for another. However, immigrant (and its verb form _immigrate) typically stress the country going to, while emigrant (and its verb emigrate) stress the country coming from. One is an immigrant to a new country, and an emigrant from an old one. See here for more on the difference between emigrant and immigrant.

Is emigrant a noun or a verb?

Emigrant is a noun, meaning "one who leaves one's place of residence or country to live elsewhere." It is synonymous with émigré, a word that is especially used of a person who has left for political reasons. The verb form of the word is emigrate.

Does emigrant imply illegality?

Both emigrant and immigrant refer to a person who has moved from one country to another, usually in permanent or semi-permanent fashion. Neither word by itself has any connotations of illegality.

Examples of emigrant in a Sentence

Noun Millions of European emigrants came to America in the 19th century. a city with emigrants from many lands
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In the light of the calculations of Heyer et al. (2005) there is an interesting possibility that the cultural inheritance of fitness may have led to a systematic bias in Afrikaners, since Huguenots tended to be more educated and trained than German emigrants who tended to be soldiers. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 27 Apr. 2010 America has a long history of emigrants from Italy, and with that comes a tradition of Italian restaurants. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 19 Feb. 2024 According to the World Bank, emigrants from low- and middle-income countries sent over $669 billion back to their home countries in 2023, up 3.8% from the year before. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2024 Reports in Turkish media and many would-be emigrants interviewed by the AP say European countries have tightened visa restrictions for Turkish travelers. Robert Badendieck, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Nov. 2023 The number of student visas granted by the United States to Chinese nationals, long a starting point for promising future emigrants, began to fall in 2016, as relations between the countries deteriorated. Li Yuan, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2023 The museum is highly interactive, with videos and on-screen reenactors telling the story of Irish emigrants, both famous and infamous. Susan Glaser, cleveland, 1 June 2023 But where exactly does resemblance lie for me, an emigrant who never went back to her birthplace? Maggie Levantovskaya, Longreads, 31 Aug. 2023 Alfred Milnes was born in Bradford, England, in 1844 and came to Utah in 1854 with the help of the church’s Perpetual Emigrating Fund, a revolving account that lent travel money to Latter-day Saint emigrants, who then were asked to repay their loans in Utah to help later-coming pioneers. The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 July 2023
Adjective
Waltz and Dafoe are wily and meticulous as emigrant and southern-rebel types, both seen leaning back, crossing their legs like Henry Fonda’s contemplative Wyatt Earp in My Darling Clementine. Armond White, National Review, 30 Dec. 2022 Lithuania was part of the Soviet Union then, and the senders were emigrant relatives or pen pals from places such as Australia, Poland, or Russia. CNN, 27 Jan. 2022 On September 11, 1857, 50 to 60 Latter-Day Saint militiamen aided by Native American allies killed 120 in an emigrant wagon train headed to California. Chelsey Cox, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2021 In a remarkable commitment by a foreign government, Driscoll’s salary is being paid for the year by Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Department through its emigrant support program. Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2021 One of the most unusual political leaders during the era after the Civil War was William Hines Furbush, a Black soldier, photographer, emigrant to Liberia, state legislator and the first sheriff of Lee County. Tom Dillard, Arkansas Online, 14 Dec. 2020 Lebanon, a country of 5 million, takes massive pride in its emigrant community – including the many successful businessmen and celebrities of Lebanese heritage. Zeina Karam, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 July 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'emigrant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1735, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1773, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of emigrant was in 1735

Dictionary Entries Near emigrant

Cite this Entry

“Emigrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emigrant. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

emigrant

noun
em·​i·​grant
ˈem-i-grənt
1
: one that emigrates
2
: a migrant plant or animal
emigrant adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on emigrant

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