migration

noun

mi·​gra·​tion mī-ˈgrā-shən 

: the act, process, or an instance of migrating

watched the migration of the birds overhead

migrational

mī-ˈgrā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Examples of migration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These omissions are not only morally wrong, but also are not conducive to the Trump administration’s own goals of reducing migration. —Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025

News of the riches would soon spread beyond across the United States, kick-starting a wave of mass migration to California that boosted the nation’s economy, reshaped the landscape and altered its culture. —Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025

But the development that sprung up around this mass migration of fortune seekers had a lasting impact on the state’s economy. —Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Jan. 2025

North African countries increased deportations of people from sub-Saharan Africa last year, part of a joint effort with the E.U. that has helped reduce migration to Europe. —David Leonhardt, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French or Latin; French, from Latin migration-, migratio, from migratus (past participle of migrare to migrate) + -ion-, -io -ion — more at migrate

First Known Use

circa 1527, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing migration

• pre-migration

Kids Definition

migration

noun

mi·​gra·​tion

mī-ˈgrā-shən

1

: the act or an instance of migrating

2

: a group of individuals that are migrating

Medical Definition

migration

noun

mi·​gra·​tion mī-ˈgrā-shən 

: the act, process, or an instance of migrating

migration of larval nematodes to the lungs