The past tense of immigrate, meaning to come to a country to live there permanently, usually to find better opportunities. It describes the action of moving into a new country to settle.
From Latin 'immigrare,' combining 'in-' (into) and 'migrare' (to move or migrate). The term entered English in the 1600s as European exploration and colonization increased global movement. It distinguishes the action of arriving in a new country from 'emigrate' (leaving one's country), though both derive from the same root word for movement.
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