Definition
The past tense of immigrate, meaning to come to a country to live there permanently, usually to find better opportunities. It describes the action of moving into a new country to settle.
Etymology
From Latin 'immigrare,' combining 'in-' (into) and 'migrare' (to move or migrate). The term entered English in the 1600s as European exploration and colonization increased global movement. It distinguishes the action of arriving in a new country from 'emigrate' (leaving one's country), though both derive from the same root word for movement.
Kelly Says
The words 'immigrate' and 'emigrate' are tricky because they describe the same movement from different perspectives—your immigration is someone else's emigration! This linguistic split reflects how languages prioritize perspective, and it's a perfect example of why English speakers find these verbs confusing.
Translations
ARالعربية
الهجرة (al-hijrah)
al-hi-jrah
BNবাংলা
প্রবাস (probash)
pro-bash
CACatalà
immigrat
im-mi-graht
CSČeština
emigroval
eh-mee-gro-val
DADansk
immigrerede
im-mi-greh-reh-deh
DEDeutsch
emigriert
eh-mee-ghee-reht
ELΕλληνικά
μετανάστευσε (metanastēuse)
meh-tan-as-tee-oo-seh
ESEspañol
emigró
eh-mee-groh
FAفارسی
مهاجرت کرد (mehājerat kard)
meh-ha-jer-at kar-d
FISuomi
muuttivat
moo-taa-vee-at
FRFrançais
émigré
eh-mee-gray
GUGU
મિગ્રેશન (migrāśan)
mi-gra-shan
HAHA
ci gida
chee gee-dah
HEעברית
הגר (le-hagar)
leh-ha-gar
HIहिन्दी
प्रवासित हुए (pravasiit hue)
pra-va-si-it hoo-eh
HUMagyar
betelepült
beh-te-lep-yool-t
IDBahasa Indonesia
bermigrasi
ber-mi-gra-si
ITItaliano
immigrato
im-mee-grah-toh
JA日本語
移住した (이주했다)
i-ju-shi-ta
KKKK
шілтемелер (şı merteler)
she mer-teh-ler
KMKM
遷移 (ch'neay i)
ch'nay ee
KO한국어
이주했다 (이주했다)
i-ju-ha-da
MSBahasa Melayu
berhijrah
ber-hi-jrah
MYမြန်မာ
移住 (yè-jù)
yeh-joo
NLNederlands
immigreerde
im-mig-reh-erde
NONorsk
immigrerte
im-mi-greh-reh-teh
PAPA
ਮਾਈਗ੍ਰੇਸ਼ਨ (maigrāśan)
mai-gra-shan
PLPolski
emigrował
eh-mi-gro-vahl
PTPortuguês
emigrou
eh-mee-groo
RORomână
a emigrat
ah eh-mee-graht
RUРусский
иммигрировал (иммигрировал)
im-mig-ri-ro-val'
SVSvenska
immigrerade
im-mi-greh-rah-deh
SWKiswahili
hamia
ha-mee-ah
TAதமிழ்
இடம்பெயர்ந்த (idampēyarndha)
ee-da-m-peh-yar-ndha
TEతెలుగు
పరమార్శ (paramarśa)
pa-ra-mar-sha
THไทย
อพยพ (aphyap)
a-phip
TLTL
migrasyon
mi-gra-syon
TRTürkçe
göç etti
goch eh-ttee
UKУкраїнська
імігрував (imigruvav)
ee-mee-gru-va-v
URاردو
مہاجر (muhajir)
mu-ha-jir
VITiếng Việt
di cư
dee-syoo
ZUZU
ukusekelwa
oo-koo-seh-kel-wah
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Immigration narratives have historically centered male workers and marginalized women's roles, often erasing women migrants' labor, autonomy, and hardship. Legal frameworks frequently treated women as dependents rather than independent immigrants.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'immigrated' neutrally, but when telling migration stories, actively include women's experiences: their economic contributions, family separation, workplace exploitation, and agency in migration decisions.
Empowerment Note
Women immigrants have been key to nation-building through domestic work, agriculture, healthcare, and community formation—contributions often rendered invisible in historical records.