What does immigrate mean?
Immigrate means to move into a country or region other than the one in which a person was born or previously lived, usually with the intention of settling there. The verb is commonly used for people moving across national borders, including families, workers, students, refugees, and other long-term residents. Its opposite, emigrate, describes leaving a country, so a person may emigrate from one nation and immigrate into another. Immigrate is also frequently used in discussions of immigration, the broader social and legal process of people moving into a country. The related noun immigration names that process, while an immigrant is a person who has moved to and settled in another country. Although the word can involve people moving for employment, education, family reasons, or safety, its basic meaning is simply relocation into a new country or region.
verbTo move to another country or region and settle there, especially permanently.
- To move to another country or region and settle there.
"Thousands of people immigrate to the country each year in search of work and safety."
"Thousands of students immigrate to the country to attend its universities."
"The couple plan to immigrate to Australia after they finish working abroad."
Moving into a country is immigrating; moving out is emigrating—two words whose prefixes turn one Latin root into opposite journeys.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does immigrate come from?
The English verb derives from Latin immigrare, literally “to move in,” formed from the prefix in- (“into”) and migrare (“to move”). It entered English in the early 17th century. Its opposite, emigrate, comes from Latin emigrare, “to move out,” while migrate, migrant, and migration belong to the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How immigrate is actually used
The word is used in both British and American English without a marked regional difference. It is normally intransitive and is commonly followed by to plus the destination.
Easily confused with immigrate
Immigrate means to move into a country or region, whereas emigrate means to move out of one.