migrant

noun

mi·​grant ˈmī-grənt 

plural migrants

: someone or something that migrates: such as

a

: a person who moves regularly in order to find work especially in harvesting crops

farms employing migrants during the growing season

b

: immigrant sense a

especially : refugee

… administration officials announced they would work to swiftly screen migrants seeking asylum at the border … and penalize people who cross illegally into the U.S. or illegally through another country on their way to the U.S. border.

—Colleen Long

c

: an animal (such as a gray whale, monarch butterfly, leatherback sea turtle, or Canada goose) that moves usually long distances from one habitat or geographic region to another

migrant adjective

migrant labor

migrant birds

Synonyms of migrant

• immigrant
• refugee
• settler
• emigrant

Examples of migrant in a Sentence

migrants in search of work on farms

Not all birds are migrants.

Recent Examples on the Web

Shortly after the 110 migrants were interdicted at sea on Wednesday by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force and Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment and Border Force, they were loaded on two police marine vessels for processing. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026

The AfD and other critics of immigration have blamed migrants for the country’s problems. — Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

The AfD and other critics of immigration have blamed migrants for the country's problems. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Coast Guard personnel were intercepting migrants crossing the Rio Grande while working with other federal agencies when the initial gunshots came from the Mexican side of the border. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin migrant-, migrans, present participle of migrare

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing migrant

• in-migrant
• out-migrant

Kids Definition

migrant

noun

mi·​grant ˈmī-grənt 

: a person, animal, or plant that migrates

migrant adjective