immigration
immigration Lexical Profile
immigration Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The action or process of coming to live permanently in a foreign country.
"A major wave of European immigration transformed the demographics of the city in the late nineteenth century."
The area at an airport, seaport, or border crossing where government officials inspect the passports and visas of people entering a country, or the government department responsible for this.
"It took us nearly an hour to get through immigration after our international flight landed."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'immigration' with 'emigration'; 'immigration' refers to entering a new country to settle (remember 'im-' for 'in'), whereas 'emigration' refers to leaving one's native country to live elsewhere ('e-' for 'exit').
• Rhymes for immigration
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived in the 17th century from Late Latin 'immigratio', from the verb 'immigrare' ('to go into, move in'), formed by combining 'in-' ('into') and 'migrare' ('to move from one place to another').