immigrate

American

[im-i-greyt] / ˈɪm ɪˌgreɪt /

verb (used without object)

immigrated, immigrating

to come to a country of which one is not a native, usually for permanent residence.
to pass or come into a new habitat or place, as an organism.

verb (used with object)

immigrated, immigrating

to introduce as settlers.

to immigrate cheap labor.

immigrate British

/ ˈɪmɪˌɡreɪt /

verb

(intr) to come to a place or country of which one is not a native in order to settle there Compare emigrate
(intr) (of an animal or plant) to migrate to a new geographical area
(tr) to introduce or bring in as an immigrant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See migrate.

Other Word Forms

immigrator noun
immigratory adjective
unimmigrating adjective

Etymology

Origin of immigrate

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin immigrātus (past participle of immigrāre “to move into”); im- ¹, migrate

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023