Definition of IMMIGRATION
- ️Sun Feb 02 2025
: 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.
DeSantis, who has made a name for himself as an immigration hardliner in Republican politics, has accused lawmakers of trying to weaken immigration enforcement in the state by removing those powers from him.
—Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
An immigration detainer means federal agents should be notified by local law enforcement before an individual is released so they can be handed over for removal proceedings.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
The Oklahoma School Board approved a rule requiring K-12 schools to collect families' immigration statuses when enrolling children.
—Steph Solis, Axios, 30 Jan. 2025
While immigration is a complex issue, leadership requires listening to the will of the people — not just playing to the loudest voices in a party’s base.
—Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 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
Dictionary Entries Near immigration
Cite this Entry
“Immigration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immigration. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 2 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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