immigrate

verb

im·​mi·​grate ˈi-mə-ˌgrāt How to pronounce immigrate (audio)
immigrated; immigrating
Synonyms of immigratenext

intransitive verb

: to enter and usually become established
especially : to come into a country of which one is not a native for permanent residence
My grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Italy.

transitive verb

: to bring in or send as immigrants
helped immigrate them

Examples of immigrate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
A Little Haiti resident, whose older sister immigrated from Haiti two years ago on TPS, said the move didn’t come as a surprise. — Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026 The new business, which opened this summer, is owned by husband and wife Mohammed Talim and Sahispa Begum, who immigrated to Sacramento from Fiji in the 2010s. — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 27 July 2026 Authorities said a 21-year-old man — a German citizen whose family immigrated from Lebanon — drove a van into the crowd, killing one person and injuring more than 25. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 26 July 2026 Maryam’s father, Aref, was born in Egypt and immigrated to America as an adult. — Pj Green july 24, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for immigrate

Word History

Etymology

Latin immigratus, past participle of immigrare to remove, go in, from in- + migrare to migrate

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of immigrate was circa 1623

Rhymes for immigrate

See All Rhymes for immigrate

Browse Nearby Words

immigrant
immigrate
immigration
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Immigrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immigrate. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

immigrate

verb
im·​mi·​grate ˈim-ə-ˌgrāt How to pronounce immigrate (audio)
immigrated; immigrating
: to come into a foreign country to live
immigration
ˌim-ə-ˈgrā-shən How to pronounce immigrate (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on immigrate

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for immigrate

Nglish: Translation of immigrate for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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