emigrate, immigrate, migrate

A person who emigrates leaves one country or region to settle in another.

  • A large number of Italians emigrated after the Second World War, scattering all over the world.

In contrast, a person who immigrates enters and settles in a country or region.

  • Many Haitians have immigrated to Canada in recent years, settling in Montréal in particular.

People and animals migrate, moving from one place to another, often on a seasonal basis.

  • Retirees often migrate from eastern Canada to British Columbia.
  • Monarch butterflies migrate from Canada to Mexico.

Emigrant, immigrant and migrant are the corresponding nouns and adjectives.

  • Every year emigrants leave their war-torn countries, looking for a safer place to live.
  • The government has heightened border security to curb the entry of illegal immigrants.
  • Migrant workers are essential to the tobacco harvest.

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