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immigration

Definition of Immigration

(noun) The movement (migration) of people into an area to settle there permanently, adding to the population.

Example of Immigration

Immigration Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: im·mi·gra·tion

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /im-uh-grAY-shuhn/
  • British English – /im-i-grAY-shuhn/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən/
  • British English – /ɪmɪˈɡreɪʃən/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: immigrations
  • You immigrate into a new country and emigrate from your home country.
    • You can remember this distinction by thinking “Exit” for emigration and “Into” for immigration.
  • Immigration is a type of migration which is typically is viewed as transitory (i.e. moving from place to place with the seasons); immigration along with emigration are generally permanent.
  • Also called in-migration.
  • The (adjective) immigratory or (adjective) immigrational patterns of (noun) immigrants (verb) immigrating are studied by demographers.

Additional Information

Related Terms


Works Consulted

Andersen, Margaret L., and Howard Francis Taylor. 2011. Sociology: The Essentials. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Brinkerhoff, David, Lynn White, Suzanne Ortega, and Rose Weitz. 2011. Essentials of Sociology. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Ferrante, Joan. 2011. Sociology: A Global Perspective. 7th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Ferris, Kerry, and Jill Stein. 2010. The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology. 2nd ed. New York: Norton.

Macmillan. (N.d.) Macmillan Dictionary. (https://www.macmillandictionary.com/).

Macionis, John, and Kenneth Plummer. 2012. Sociology: A Global Introduction. 4th ed. Harlow, England: Pearson Education.

Merriam-Webster. (N.d.) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/).

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).

Stolley, Kathy S. 2005. The Basics of Sociology. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Tischler, Henry L. 2011. Introduction to Sociology. 10th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wiktionary, The Free Dictionary. Wikimedia Foundation. (http://en.wiktionary.org).

Cite the Definition of Immigration

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “immigration.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved March 28, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/immigration/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

immigration. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/immigration/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “immigration.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed March 28, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/immigration/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“immigration.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/immigration/>.