Migrate

/ˈmaɪɡreɪt/

verbmedium📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning3 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

1

To move from one region or habitat to another, often regularly and periodically. Or, to move from one country, locality, or area to another.

/ˈmaɪɡreɪt/

verbneutralmedium
General

To move from one place to another, especially to live or work there.

Many geese migrate to warmer climates during the winter months.

💡 Simply: Think of it like moving! Animals and people migrate when they want to find a better home or place to work. Like, when some birds fly south for the winter because it's warmer, that's migrating!

👶 For kids: Moving to a new place, like when birds fly south in the winter.

More Examples

2

The company plans to migrate its existing software to a new platform.

3

Thousands of people migrate to the city each year in search of employment.

How It's Used

Biology

"Birds migrate south for the winter."

Sociology

"Many people migrate to cities in search of better opportunities."

Computer Science

"The company decided to migrate its data to the cloud."

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

Idioms & expressions

mass migration

The movement of a large group of people from one region to another, usually within a country or across international borders.

"The civil war led to mass migration of refugees to neighboring countries."

internal migration

The movement of people within a country, often from rural to urban areas.

"Internal migration is a significant factor in the growth of megacities."

seasonal migration

The regular movement of people or animals at specific times of the year, driven by environmental factors.

"Seasonal migration is a key part of the economic model of many tourist destinations."

From Latin *migrare* ('to move, to change residence'), related to *migra* ('a change of place').

The word 'migrate' has been used since the late 16th century, initially referring to the movement of people. Its use expanded to include animals and other non-human entities.

Memory tip

Imagine a bird flying south for the winter – it's migrating!

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to move, to change residence"

migrate tomigrate frommigrate betweenmass migrationseasonal migrationmigrate south

Common misspellings

migatemigraitmygrate

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written