Definition of Emigrant and Immigrant

The words "emigrant" and "immigrant" have opposite meanings. According to Merriam-Webster, an "emigrant" is someone who moves away from her home country and an "immigrant" is someone who is living in a country other than the one she was born in. To differentiate the terms, remember that an "emigrant" exits a country and both "emigrant" and "exit" begin with "e." An "immigrant" moves into a country and both "immigrant" and "into" begin with "i."

"Emigrant" can be either a noun or adjective, so use it in a sentence as either a subject or a way to describe a subject. For example, "The emigrant had just one suitcase when he left his home country at the age of 19." In this sentence, "emigrant" is the subject, referring to someone who left his home country. As an adjective, "emigrant" may be used like this: "There were many emigrant ships at the dock." In this example, "emigrant" describes the ships, indicating that they are ones used by people leaving the country.

"Immigrant" can also be used as either a noun or adjective. As a noun, it can be used like this: "Cosmopolitan cities like Toronto and New York City are home to many immigrants from around the world." In this example, the word "immigrant" is plural, referring to the large number of people from out of the country who live in Toronto and New York. As an adjective, "immigrant" can be used to describe a species not native to a country, such as: "The Asian lady beetle is an immigrant insect, imported to North America in the early 1900s." In this sentence, "immigrant" describes the insect, specifying that it is not of North American origin.