migrant

migrant — noun

1. someone who leaves their home region or country and settles in a new place, usua

1.nounB1
Definition

someone who leaves their home region or country and settles in a new place, usually because they are looking for work or a better quality of life

Example

Tunde found seasonal work as a migrant on a farm in California.

migrant as a countable noun for a worker

The number of migrants arriving from rural areas has increased sharply.

number of + migrants + from [place]

Common collocations
  • economic migrant
  • undocumented migrant
  • seasonal migrant
  • rural migrant
  • migrant community
  • migrant population
Synonyms
  • immigrant

    emphasises permanent settlement in the new country, while migrant can be temporary

  • expatriate

    usually implies a professional or lifestyle choice with means to return; less about economic necessity

  • economic migrant

    a specific type of migrant who moves primarily for work or better pay

Antonyms
  • native

    a person born in a particular place, as opposed to someone who moved there

Grammar Patterns

migrant + from [place]

number of + migrants

migrant + verb (plural agreement)

Usage Note

Distinguish from refugee: a refugee flees persecution or danger, whereas a migrant chooses to move, usually for economic reasons. In news reporting, the distinction can be politically sensitive and varies by context.

Common Mistakes

The migrant fled war in his country.
The refugee fled war in his country.
A migrant moves by choice; a refugee is forced to flee by danger or persecution.

2. a creature that travels regularly between different habitats at particular times

2.nounB2
Definition

a creature that travels regularly between different habitats at particular times of year — for example birds flying to warmer regions in autumn or whales swimming to breeding grounds in winter

Example

The Arctic tern is a remarkable migrant that flies from pole to pole each year.

remarkable + migrant — adjective + migrant for emphasis

These swallows are summer migrants that arrive in our village every spring to nest.

summer migrant — seasonal modifier

Common collocations
  • summer migrant
  • winter migrant
  • long-distance migrant
  • bird migrant
  • animal migrant
Synonyms
  • migratory animal

    more formal or scientific than migrant, preferred in academic writing

  • traveler

    too vague for scientific use; lacks the seasonal-cycle meaning

Antonyms
  • resident

    an animal that stays in one habitat year-round

Grammar Patterns

summer/winter + migrant

migrant + verb (travel, breed, nest)

Usage Note

Frequently modified by seasonal, summer, winter, or long-distance. Common in ornithology, marine biology, and conservation contexts. Typically refers to birds, butterflies, whales, sea turtles, and some fish.

Common Mistakes

Bears are migrants because they hibernate in winter.
Bears hibernate in one place and are not migrants.
Migration requires active movement between regions; hibernation is staying put.

migrant — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Migrant, immigrant, refugee, expatriate, and nomad all describe people on the move, but the motivations and permanence differ. A migrant moves, often temporarily, to find work or better conditions. An immigrant moves permanently to a new country with the intention of settling. A refugee flees war, persecution, or danger and cannot safely return home. An expatriate lives outside their native country by choice, usually for professional reasons, and typically has the resources to return. A nomad travels from place to place without a fixed home, often following traditional patterns. For example, you would call someone an 'economic migrant' if they moved for a job, but a 'political refugee' if they escaped conflict. A 'British expatriate' in Dubai is a migrant by definition but the term carries different social connotations.

immigrant ↗refugee ↗expatriatenomad

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • migrant worker
  • economic migrant
  • climate migrant
  • migrant labour
  • summer migrant
  • migrant farmworker

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Migrant comes from the Latin verb migrāre, meaning 'to move from one place to another.' It entered English through French in the 1600s and was first used to describe people moving to find work. By the 1800s, naturalists had also adopted it for animals that travel seasonally between habitats.