refugee

noun

ref·u·gee ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē

ˈre-fyu̇-ˌjē

Synonyms of refugee

: one that flees

especially : a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution

refugeeism

ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē-ˌi-zəm

ˈre-fyu̇-ˌjē-

noun

Examples of refugee in a Sentence

Thousands of refugees have fled the area. refugees began returning to their homeland after years of political unrest and war

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.

Transplant, which ran for four seasons, was a medical procedural about a Syrian refugee working as a doctor in a Toronto trauma unit. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2026 Nguyen-Duy, who immigrated to the United States as a political refugee in 1975, had taught at Oberlin since 1998. — Michael Guise, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026 One card was from a Syrian woman whose family discouraged her from sitting for an on camera to share her experiences as a refugee – so Sachs settles for filming a tribute to the woman’s cooking skills. — Will Tizard, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026 The goal, according to the Wall Street Journal, is to find evidence to denaturalize Omar, a Somali refugee who arrived in the United States at age twelve, and deport her. — Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for refugee

Word History

Etymology

French réfugié, past participle of (se) réfugier to take refuge, from Middle French refugier, from Latin refugium

First Known Use

1685, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of refugee was in 1685

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Browse Nearby Words

refuge

refugee

refugeeism

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Refugee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refugee. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

refugee

noun

ref·u·gee ˌref-yu̇-ˈjē

ˈref-yu̇-ˌjē

: a person who flees for safety especially to a foreign country

Etymology

from French réfugié, past participle of réfugier "to put in a place of safety," from Latin refugium "a refuge," from refugere "to run away from, escape," from re- "again, against" and fugere "to run away, flee" — related to centrifugal, fugitive

Legal Definition

refugee

noun

ref·u·gee ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē

: an individual seeking refuge or asylum

especially : an individual who has left his or her native country and is unwilling or unable to return to it because of persecution or fear of persecution (as because of race, religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion)

refugee

noun

Synonyms of refugee

Examples of refugee in a Sentence

Word History

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The Origin of 'Refugee'

Word of the Year Retrospective

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