migration

UK: /maɪˈgreɪʃ^ən/ US: /maɪˈgreɪʃən/ ,(mī grā′shən)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

mi•gra•tion  (mī grā′shən), n. 

1. the process or act of migrating.
2. a migratory movement:
   preparations for the migration.
3. a number or body of persons or animals migrating together.
4. Physics [Chem.] a movement or change of position of atoms within a molecule.
5. Physics diffusion (def. 3a).

• Latin migrātīon- (stem of migrātiō). See migrate, -ion
• 1605–15

mi•gra′tion•al, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

migration / maɪˈɡreɪʃən/ noun

1. the act or an instance of migrating
2. a group of people, birds, etc, migrating in a body
3. a movement of atoms, ions, or molecules, such as the motion of ions in solution under the influence of electric fields

miˈgrational adjective

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

mi•grate /ˈmaɪgreɪt/   v., -grat•ed, -grat•ing. 

1. to move from one country, region, or place to another:
   [~ + from/to + object] migrated from the farms to the cities.
2. to pass at regular periods from one region to another, as certain birds:
   [no object] The birds migrated south for the winter.

mi•gra•tion /maɪˈgreɪʃən/  n. 

[countable] Some birds begin their migrations early.

[uncountable] large-scale migration from the farms to the cities.

mi•gra•to•ry /ˈmaɪgrəˌtɔri/  adj.: 

migratory birds.

See -migr-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

mi•grate  (mī′grāt), v.i., -grat•ed, -grat•ing. 

1. to go from one country, region, or place to another.
2. to pass periodically from one region or climate to another, as certain birds, fishes, and animals:
   The birds migrate southward in the winter.
3. to shift, as from one system, mode of operation, or enterprise to another.
4. Biology [Physiol.] (of a cell, tissue, etc.) to move from one region of the body to another, as in embryonic development.
5. [Chem.]
   • (of ions) to move toward an electrode during electrolysis.
   • (of atoms within a molecule) to change position.
6. British Terms (at British universities) to change or transfer from one college to another.

• Latin migrātus (past participle of migrāre to move from place to place, change position or abode), equivalent. to migrā- verb, verbal stem + -tus past participle suffix
• 1690–1700

mi′gra•tor, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. move, resettle.
  Migrate, emigrate, immigrate are used of changing one's abode from one country or part of a country to another. To migrate is to make such a move either once or repeatedly:
  to migrate from Ireland to the United States.
  To emigrate is to leave a country, usually one's own (and take up residence in another):
  Each year many people emigrate from Europe.
  To immigrate is to enter and settle in a country not one's own:
  There are many inducements to immigrate to South America.
  Migrate is applied both to people or to animals that move from one region to another, esp. periodically; the other terms are generally applied to movements of people.

Antonyms

• 1. remain.