Immigration

ˌɪmɪˈɡreɪʃən

nounBeginner🔥Very CommonGeneral
2 meanings2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

The action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country.

ˌɪmɪˈɡreɪʃən

nounneutralBeginner
General

The country's immigration policies have changed significantly over the past decade.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're moving to a new country to live there forever. That's immigration! It's like when people from other places decide to make your country their new home.

👶 For kids: When people move from one country to live in another country, that's immigration!

More Examples

2

Immigration can lead to a more diverse and vibrant culture.

3

The economic effects of immigration are often debated.

How It's Used

Politics

"Immigration policies are often a contentious issue in national debates."

Social Sciences

"Research studies the impact of immigration on social structures."

2

The movement of people into a country or region, to which they are not native, in order to settle there.

ˌɪmɪˈɡreɪʃən

nounneutralmedium
General

The town saw a significant increase in population due to immigration.

💡 Simply: Immigration is when people *move into* a new place, like a new city or country, and decide to live there. It's all about people changing where they live.

👶 For kids: When people go from one country to another country to live there, that's called immigration!

More Examples

2

Immigration played a key role in the country's economic growth.

3

Researchers are studying the effects of immigration on local communities.

How It's Used

Demographics

"Immigration statistics are important for understanding population trends."

Geography

"The study of immigration patterns helps to understand the geographic distribution of people."

Tip:Think of it as the *in-flow* of people to a new country.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

immigration reform

Changes or adjustments to a country's laws and policies regarding immigration.

"The government is considering immigration reform to address the needs of immigrants."

illegal immigration

The act of entering or residing in a country without legal permission or documentation.

"The government is cracking down on illegal immigration at the borders."

From Latin *immigrat-*, the past participle stem of *immigrare* 'to immigrate', from *in-* 'into' + *migrare* 'to move, migrate'. The term has been used since the 17th century.

The word has been used since the 17th century, initially to describe the act of moving into a territory.

Memory tip

Imagine 'in' (imm-) a country. Immigration is *coming in* to a country to live there.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to move into"

immigration policyimmigration lawsillegal immigrationmass immigrationskilled immigration

Common misspellings

immagrationemmigration

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written