What does migrate mean?
Migrate means to move from one place to another, usually with the intention of living, working, or settling in the new location. It is a broad and neutral verb: people migrate for work, education, family, or other personal reasons; animals and birds migrate seasonally in response to food, breeding, or weather; and organizations or computer users migrate to new platforms, systems, or ways of working. The phrase “migrate to” is especially common when someone or something moves from an old location or system to a new one. Although “migrate” can imply permanent change, it does not necessarily mean leaving one country, which is the more specific meaning of “emigrate.” The word is also useful figuratively because it captures movement combined with adjustment: a person or system not only arrives somewhere new but begins to operate or live there. Its Latin ancestry links it to related English words such as migrant, migration, emigrate, and immigrate.
verbTo move from one place to another, especially in order to settle somewhere else. It can also describe seasonal movement by people or animals, or figurative movement to a new system, platform, or way of working.
- To move from one place to another, especially with the intention of settling somewhere else.
- To move seasonally between different habitats or regions, as many birds and other animals do.
- To transfer something or adapt to a new system, platform, or organization.
"Many families migrate to the coast during the warmer months."
"Thousands of birds migrate to warmer regions each winter."
"Users can migrate their data to the new platform during the upgrade."
Migrate comes from the Latin migrāre, “to move from one place to another”—a root still carrying motion in migration, migrant, and immigrant.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does migrate come from?
Migrate comes through English use of the Latin verb migrāre, meaning “to move from one place to another.” The word entered English during the early modern period, when Latin was an important source for learned and scientific vocabulary. English later developed several related forms from the same root, including migrant, migration, emigrate, and immigrate; transmigration and remigration also preserve the same Latin foundation.
Related word forms
How migrate is actually used
The verb is neutral in register and can describe voluntary relocation, seasonal movement, or changes in technology and organization. “Migrate” is also used figuratively in computing and business contexts, where it often implies transferring data, users, or systems to a new environment.
Easily confused with migrate
Migrate means to move from one place to another, while emigrate specifically means to leave one's country or homeland.