noun
migration
my-GRAY-shuhn/maɪˈɡreɪʃn/
Relocation from one inhabited region to another.
The wildebeests' migration carries them from dry grass toward fresh grazing across the river.
Etymology
The action-noun ending turns “move from place to place” into the movement itself. The Latin noun already referred to removal or a change of abode.
In context
Their migration is not simply a movement from one grazing ground to another. It is a journey through a gauntlet of ice, wind, and predation.
More examples
- Drought drives migration from rural areas to cities.
- Bird migration peaks here in the fall.
- Some whales make long migrations between feeding and breeding grounds.
Forms
migration · migrations
migrate verb — To move from one region to another.
migratory adjective — Moving periodically from one region to another.
Similar words
- relocation
- Emphasizes settling somewhere new, without requiring movement between regions.
- immigration
- Specifically describes entering another country to live there.
- emigration
- Specifically describes leaving one's country to live elsewhere.