plural immigrations
: an act or instance of immigrating
specifically : travel into a country for the purpose of permanent residence there
Especially during these months when there has been constant talk of immigration and its myriad challenges, both here and on European national borders … Bob Greene
illegal/legal immigration
immigration reform/policy/law
Drawing historical comparisons is always a fraught process, especially when the subject is as contentious as immigration. James Hannan
There is only a passing comment on Chinese and Japanese immigration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, plus a short section on the truly global wave of immigrants that swept into America after the Second World War … Nicholas Guyatt
The Middle Ages is the story of successive migrations and immigrations Janet L. Nelson
immigrational adjective
studied the region's immigrational history

Examples of immigration in a Sentence

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.
Thirty years ago, Donald Trump’s sister may have crafted one of the strongest legal arguments against his immigration policy. Stuart Anderson, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 Furman rejected the government's request that the case be moved to Louisiana, where Khalil arrived in immigration detention early on March 10. Luc Cohen, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025 This fight seems very much like a trial balloon, seizing on areas of law like immigration and military powers where the executive has particularly acute authority, and playing on the emotional narrative that this is about targeting bloodthirsty criminals, even if that narrative is false. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 Mar. 2025 Khalil was transferred from a detention facility in New Jersey to an immigration center in Louisiana, with the government citing a bedbug infestation as the reason. Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for immigration

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of immigration was in 1625

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Immigration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immigration. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on immigration

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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