migration

Definition of Migration

(noun) The movement of people from one geographic area (e.g., country, food source) to another, typically referring to moving across political boundaries.

Examples of Migration

• Moving from Eastern Europe to the United States.
• Moving from one oasis to another.
• Moving from one suburb to another.

Migration Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: mi·gra·tion

Audio Pronunciation

International Phonetic Alphabet

• American English – /ˌmaɪˈɡreɪʃ(ə)n/
• British English – /mʌɪˈɡreɪʃn/

Usage Notes

• Plural: migrations
• Migration typically is viewed as transitory, moving from place to place, immigration and emigration are forms of migration that are generally permanent.
• Migration can be “voluntary” or “forced.”
• Types:
  • emigration
  • immigration
• The (adjective) migratory or (adjective) migrational patterns of (noun) migrants (verb) migrating are studied by demographers.

Additional Information

• Word origin of “migration” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
• Benson, Michaela, and Karen O’Reilly. 2009. “Migration and the Search for a Better Way of Life: A Critical Exploration of Lifestyle Migration.” Sociological Review 57(4):608–25. doi:10.1111/j.1467-954x.2009.01864.x.
• Castles, Stephen. 2007. “Twenty-first Century Migration as a Challenge to Sociology.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 33(3):351–71. doi:10.1080/13691830701234491.
• Castles, Stephen, Hein de Haas, and Mark J. Miller. 2014. The Age of Migration: International Population Movements in the Modern World. 5th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Urry, John, and M. Sheller, eds. 2004. Tourism Mobilities: Places to Play, Places in Play. London: Routledge.
• Winder, R. 2013. Bloody Foreigners: The Story of Immigration to Britain. Rev. ed. London: Abacus.

Related Terms

• birth rate
• demography
• mortality rate
• population
• population composition
• society
• State
• urbanization
• world-systems theory
• zero population growth

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Cite the Definition of Migration

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “migration.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 25, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/migration/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

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

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

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “migration.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/migration/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“migration.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/migration/>.