migration

migration — noun

1. the regular long-distance movement that herds of mammals, flocks of birds, or sc

1.nounB1
Definition

the regular long-distance movement that herds of mammals, flocks of birds, or schools of fish make at certain times of the year, usually to find food, breed, or reach a warmer place

Example

Every autumn, Aiko watches the migration of geese flying south over her village.

collocation: autumn / spring migration

The wildebeest migration across the Serengeti is one of Africa's most famous natural events.

Common collocations
  • bird migration
  • annual migration
  • migration route
  • migration pattern
  • autumn migration
  • spring migration
Synonyms
  • movement

    more general, does not imply seasonal or long-distance travel

  • travel

    less specific; migration is a type of regular, group travel

  • relocation

    focuses on changing location; less common for animals

Antonyms
  • residence

    staying in one place throughout the year

Grammar Patterns

migration + of + noun

migration + from + place + to + place

Usage Note

Often uncountable when referring to the general phenomenon ("Migration is essential for these birds"). Countable when describing a specific instance ("a mass migration of salmon every year").

Common Mistakes

The migration of my cat to the new house was easy.
Moving my cat to the new house was easy.
Migration describes large-scale group movement, not an individual pet's move.
Birds do migration every year.
Birds migrate every year.
When describing the action directly, use the verb 'migrate' rather than 'do migration'.

2. the movement of large numbers of people from one country, region, or town to ano

2.nounB1
Definition

the movement of large numbers of people from one country, region, or town to another, especially to find work, escape danger, or improve their living conditions

Example

Leila's migration from Oaxaca to Mexico City shows how young people chase factory work.

collocation: labor / economic migration

Rohan's grandparents joined the great migration from Northern Europe to Australia in the 1950s.

Common collocations
  • mass migration
  • economic migration
  • labor migration
  • rural-to-urban migration
  • forced migration
  • global migration
Synonyms
  • immigration

    specifically means entering a country to live there

  • emigration

    specifically means leaving one's own country to live elsewhere

  • relocation

    can apply to individuals or small groups; less tied to mass movement

Antonyms
  • settlement

    the act of staying in one place after arriving

Grammar Patterns

migration + of + people

migration + from + country/region + to + country/region

Usage Note

Distinguish from 'immigration' (coming into a specific country) and 'emigration' (leaving a specific country). 'Migration' is the broader term for any large-scale movement of people and does not specify direction.

Common Mistakes

His migration to the new apartment took three hours.
His move to the new apartment took three hours.
Migration refers to large-scale or group relocation, not an individual's small move.
Migration means coming into a country.
Migration is the general movement of people. Immigration specifically means entering a country.
Learners often confuse migration with immigration.

3. the process of moving computer programs, files, or operations from one system or

3.nounB2
Definition

the process of moving computer programs, files, or operations from one system or platform to another, often to get better performance or newer features

Example

Dr. Okafor supervised the data migration to the hospital's new patient record system.

collocation: data migration

The IT team planned the system migration for months to avoid losing any important files.

collocation: system migration

Common collocations
  • data migration
  • system migration
  • software migration
  • cloud migration
  • server migration
Synonyms
  • transfer

    simpler and more general; does not imply a whole-system change

  • conversion

    focuses on changing the format of data rather than moving it

  • upgrade

    focuses on getting a newer, better system, not necessarily the movement process

Grammar Patterns

data migration

system migration

migration + from + old system + to + new system

Usage Note

Common in information technology contexts. Typically used with a modifier such as 'data', 'system', 'software', or 'cloud'. The process usually involves preparation, transfer, testing, and switching over to the new system.

Common Mistakes

The migration of files from my old phone to my new phone happened automatically.
I transferred the files from my old phone to my new one.
'Migration' is used more for professional IT infrastructure than personal device changes.

4. the situation in which customers stop using one company's service and begin usin

4.nounC1
Definition

the situation in which customers stop using one company's service and begin using a competitor's service instead, such as with phone, internet, or insurance companies

Example

The telecom company cut prices to slow customer migration to rival networks.

collocation: customer migration

The new banking fees caused a steady migration of account holders toward smaller credit unions.

Common collocations
  • customer migration
  • account migration
  • service migration
  • migration rate
  • migration trend
Synonyms
  • switch

    simpler and more common for individual customer decisions

  • transfer

    focuses on moving the account or service

  • churn

    business term for the rate at which customers leave a service

Antonyms
  • retention

    keeping customers with the current provider

Grammar Patterns

migration + of + customers

customer migration

migration + to + new provider

Usage Note

Primarily used in business and marketing contexts. Often describes a trend rather than individual decisions. The term 'churn' is a related concept in customer analytics that focuses on the rate of customer loss.

Common Mistakes

I did a migration from my old phone company.
I switched from my old phone company.
For individual actions, use 'switch' or 'change'. 'Migration' describes an overall business trend.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All five words describe a change of location, but they differ in scale, direction, and context. 'Migration' is the broadest term, used for large-scale movement of people (or animals) without specifying direction — it simply means shifting from one place to another. 'Immigration' narrows the focus to people arriving into a country from abroad to settle; you would say 'immigration to Canada' but not 'immigration from Canada'. 'Emigration' is the opposite: leaving one's own country to live elsewhere ('emigration from Ireland during the famine'). 'Relocation' is more neutral and can apply to individuals, families, or businesses moving to a new area — it does not carry the mass-scale or cross-border implications of migration. 'Movement' is the most general word, covering any change of position from a single step to a global shift. In a news article about people crossing borders for work, use 'migration' for the general phenomenon, 'immigration' or 'emigration' only when direction matters, and 'relocation' for a company moving its office or a family choosing a new city.

migration ↗immigration ↗emigrationrelocationmovement ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • migration route
  • migration pattern
  • migration period
  • migration flow
  • migration policy

Phrases

  • mass migration
  • seasonal migration
  • internal migration
  • international migration
  • forced migration

Prepositions

  • migration from
  • migration to
  • migration across
  • migration within

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'migration' comes from Latin 'migratio', from the verb 'migrare' meaning 'to move from one place to another'. It was adopted into English through French ('migration') in the 1600s, originally referring to the movement of people, and later extended to animals and, in modern times, to technology and business contexts.