Immigrant Meaning
/ˈɪmɪɡɹənt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA non-native person who comes to a country from another country to permanently settle there.
nounA plant or animal that establishes itself in an area where it previously did not exist.
Sentence Examples
She fell in love with a Russian immigrant.
I'm only an immigrant trying to protect the English language from its native speakers.
CEFR Practice Quiz
My grandfather was an ____ who came to America seeking better economic opportunities.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Each new ____ who arrives in the country brings their own unique skills and cultural heritage.
Word Origin & History
From Latin immigrans, present active participle of immigrāre (“to migrate into”), from in- (“into”) + migrāre (“to migrate”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"What Alexis de Tocqueville saw in America was a society of immigrants, each of whom had begun life anew, on an equal footing. This was the secret of America: a nation of people with the fresh memory of old traditions who dared to explore new frontiers, people eager to build lives for themselves in a spacious society that did not restrict their freedom of choice and action."
— 1964, John F. Kennedy, A Nation of Immigrants, Revised and Enlarged edition, Harper & Row, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 2:
"The village was once well known for its paper-milling, founded by Huguenot immigrants in 1648, which produced high-quality hand-made paper until 1952."
— 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 178, about Eynsford:
"However, an accompanied undocumented immigrant child should not be removed from his or her family , unless there are grounds for removal in terms of section 14(4) of the Child Care Act, 1983."
— 2001, South African Law Commission, Review of the Child Care Act, page 1123:
"[Stephen] Miller’s uncle, a neuroscientist, has been welcomed onto the public stage for his denunciations of his nephew’s immigration policies, which the elder Miller has characterized as hypocritical: the Millers’ not-so-distant Jewish ancestors were, of course, immigrants themselves."
— 2019 July 15, Greg Afinogenov, “The Jewish Case for Open Borders”, in Jewish Currents, number Summer 2019:
"Hamtramck is described in the resolution as “one of the most diverse cities in the United States.” The city has a large immigrant presence and all the city council members are of the Muslim faith, city manager Max Garbarino told CNN Thursday. Hamtramck was also the first known city in the US to inaugurate an all-Muslim government, CNN previously reported."
— 2023 June 15, Eli Masket and Michelle Watson, “A city in Michigan votes to permanently ban Pride flags from display on public property during Pride Month”, in CNN:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
My grandfather was an ____ who came to America seeking better economic opportunities.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Each new ____ who arrives in the country brings their own unique skills and cultural heritage.