expatriate

1 of 3

verb

ex·​pa·​tri·​ate ek-ˈspā-trē-ˌāt How to pronounce expatriate (audio)
expatriated; expatriating
Synonyms of expatriate

transitive verb

1
: banish, exile
2
: to withdraw (oneself) from residence in or allegiance to one's native country

intransitive verb

: to leave one's native country to live elsewhere
also : to renounce allegiance to one's native country

expatriate

2 of 3

adjective

ex·​pa·​tri·​ate ek-ˈspā-trē-ət How to pronounce expatriate (audio) -trē-ˌāt How to pronounce expatriate (audio)
: living in a foreign land

expatriate

3 of 3

noun

ex·​pa·​tri·​ate ek-ˈspā-trē-ət How to pronounce expatriate (audio) -trē-ˌāt How to pronounce expatriate (audio)
: a person who lives in a foreign country
Hemingway himself in The Sun Also Rises, 1926, had given the picture of the dislocated life of young English and American expatriates in the bars of Paris, the "lost generation," as Gertrude Stein defined them.—Robert Penn Warren

Synonyms of expatriate

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Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of expatriate in a Sentence

Verb members of the deposed dictator's once-feared political party were expatriated as well Noun while in exile, the deposed king was accompanied by a small band of loyal expatriates
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.
Verb
This would be particularly true of a state-level wealth tax, since expatriating from one’s country is far more difficult than moving across state lines. — Jared Walczak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026 An August survey by Remitly found that having a better quality of life is the top reason Americans want to expatriate. — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Qatar’s population is about 3million, but expatriate workers count for around 90 per cent. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 13 June 2026 His post oversees seven Western states and one of the largest Israeli expatriate populations in the world. — Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 4 May 2026
Noun
The expatriate has mixed feelings about the World Cup and his homeland’s team. — Pat Maio, Daily News, 7 June 2026 What were her feelings about being an expatriate in the years after the Civil War? — Tyehimba Jess, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expatriate

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Medieval Latin expatriatus, past participle of expatriare to leave one's own country, from Latin ex- + patria native country, from feminine of patrius of a father, from patr-, pater father — more at father

First Known Use

Verb

1768, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

1812, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1818, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of expatriate was in 1768

Rhymes for expatriate

See All Rhymes for expatriate

Browse Nearby Words

expatiation
expatriate
expatriation
See all Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Expatriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expatriate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

expatriate

1 of 3 verb
ex·​pa·​tri·​ate ek-ˈspā-trē-ˌāt How to pronounce expatriate (audio)
expatriated; expatriating
: exile entry 2
expatriation
(ˌ)ek-ˌspā-trē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce expatriate (audio)
noun

expatriate

2 of 3 adjective
ex·​pa·​tri·​ate ek-ˈspā-trē-ˌāt How to pronounce expatriate (audio)
-trē-ət
: living in a foreign country

expatriate

3 of 3 noun
ex·​pa·​tri·​ate
ek-ˈspā-trē-ˌāt, 
-trē-ət
: a person living in a foreign country
especially : one who has renounced his or her native country

Legal Definition

expatriate

verb
ex·​pa·​tri·​ate ek-ˈspā-trē-ˌāt How to pronounce expatriate (audio)
expatriated; expatriating

transitive verb

: to voluntarily withdraw (oneself) from allegiance to one's native country

intransitive verb

: to renounce allegiance to one's country and abandon one's nationality voluntarily
expatriate
-trē-ət
noun
expatriation
ek-ˌspā-trē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce expatriate (audio)
noun

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