plural migrants
: someone or something that migrates: such as
a
: a person who moves regularly in order to find work especially in harvesting crops
farms employing migrants during the growing season
b
: immigrant sense a
especially
: refugee
… administration officials announced they would work to swiftly screen migrants seeking asylum at the border … and penalize people who cross illegally into the U.S. or illegally through another country on their way to the U.S. border. —Colleen Long
c
: an animal (such as a gray whale, monarch butterfly, leatherback sea turtle, or Canada goose) that moves usually long distances from one habitat or geographic region to another
migrant
adjective
migrant labor
migrant birds
Cite this Entry
“Migrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/migrant. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
