What does migratory mean?
Migratory is an adjective describing movement that regularly takes place from one place or region to another. Its most familiar use is for animals, especially birds, that travel between separate breeding, feeding, and wintering areas. It can also describe people who move seasonally or repeatedly for employment, as in the established phrase “migratory workers.” The word often suggests habitual or cyclical movement rather than a single journey, although it does not necessarily imply a return to the same place. In general contexts, migrant may be preferable when naming a person who moves, while migratory more often characterizes the movement itself. The adjective is widely understood in British and American English and combines a factual, often scientific tone with straightforward descriptive force. It is useful whenever a writer needs to distinguish recurring movement across locations from permanent residence in one place.
Relating to or characterized by regular movement from one region or place to another, especially in search of food, breeding grounds, or work.
"The conservation area protects migratory birds that stop here during their annual journeys."
For a person who relocates for work, migrant is generally more idiomatic as a noun, though migratory workers is also well established.
A person who moves seasonally from one place to another, especially for agricultural work.
"The old labor register listed each migratory and the district where he had worked."
This noun use is uncommon and sounds dated; migrant is normally preferred today.
The plural is rare; in modern usage, plural migrants is normally preferred.
"Local officials seldom used the label migratories for the seasonal laborers arriving in the district."
The Arctic tern, a migratory bird, can fly from Arctic breeding grounds to Antarctic waters and back each year.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does migratory come from?
Migratory entered English from the Latin adjective migratorius, meaning “of a migrant” or “migrating.” The Latin word was formed from migrator, “a mover” or “one who migrates,” ultimately from migrare, “to move from one place to another.” English relatives including migrate, migration, migrant, and emigrate preserve this Latin root and its sense of movement between places.
How migratory is actually used
The adjective is standard in general English but can sound formal or technical in some contexts. For an individual person, migrant is usually more natural than migratory. The noun use is uncommon in modern English.
Easily confused with migratory
Migrant usually names a person or animal that moves, while migratory describes the regular movement itself or the kind of person or animal involved.