refugee
noun
ref·u·gee ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē 
ˈre-fyu̇-ˌjē
: one that flees
especially : a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution
refugeeism
ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē-ˌi-zəm
noun ˈre-fyu̇-ˌjē-
Synonyms
- deportee
- émigré
- emigré
- evacuee
- exile
- expat [chiefly British]
- expatriate
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Thousands of refugees have fled the area. refugees began returning to their homeland after years of political unrest and war
Recent Examples on the Web The feature is a love story set in Beirut between two migrants: Mehdia, an Ethiopian migrant domestic worker, and Ahmed, a Syrian refugee who struggles to survive by selling scrap metal. 
Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2022 Contemporary social problems are wittily defused with offbeat humor in the love story of an Ethiopian cleaner and a Syrian refugee. Alissa Simon, Variety, 2 Sep. 2022 But the single most important step in the journey of a refugee is landing a job, and yet, many of them are still struggling to do so. Gideon Maltz For Cnn Business Perspectives, CNN, 1 Sep. 2022 Rekke finds his in Micaela Vargas, a 26-year-old beat cop of Chilean parentage who is part of an investigative team conferring with him regarding the murder of an Afghan-refugee soccer referee. Tom Nolan, WSJ, 26 Aug. 2022 The Afghan refugee is charged with three counts of murder and tampering with evidence, and police have identified him as the suspect in the killing of a fourth Muslim man. CBS News, 26 Aug. 2022 Muhammad Syed, an Afghan refugee who has been in the U.S. for five years, is suspected of killing four people between November and August. Andrea Vacchiano, Fox News, 12 Aug. 2022 Celt's 2018 novel is set at a girls boarding school in New Jersey in the 1920s, following a young Soviet refugee, Zoya, who is an outcast at the elite institution. Emily Burack, Town & Country, 11 Aug. 2022 Don’t exploit or mistreat the refugee, the orphan, and the widow. Corinne Sullivan, Woman's Day, 4 Aug. 2022 See More
Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2022 Contemporary social problems are wittily defused with offbeat humor in the love story of an Ethiopian cleaner and a Syrian refugee. Alissa Simon, Variety, 2 Sep. 2022 But the single most important step in the journey of a refugee is landing a job, and yet, many of them are still struggling to do so. Gideon Maltz For Cnn Business Perspectives, CNN, 1 Sep. 2022 Rekke finds his in Micaela Vargas, a 26-year-old beat cop of Chilean parentage who is part of an investigative team conferring with him regarding the murder of an Afghan-refugee soccer referee. Tom Nolan, WSJ, 26 Aug. 2022 The Afghan refugee is charged with three counts of murder and tampering with evidence, and police have identified him as the suspect in the killing of a fourth Muslim man. CBS News, 26 Aug. 2022 Muhammad Syed, an Afghan refugee who has been in the U.S. for five years, is suspected of killing four people between November and August. Andrea Vacchiano, Fox News, 12 Aug. 2022 Celt's 2018 novel is set at a girls boarding school in New Jersey in the 1920s, following a young Soviet refugee, Zoya, who is an outcast at the elite institution. Emily Burack, Town & Country, 11 Aug. 2022 Don’t exploit or mistreat the refugee, the orphan, and the widow. Corinne Sullivan, Woman's Day, 4 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
French réfugié, past participle of (se) réfugier to take refuge, from Middle French refugier, from Latin refugium
First Known Use
1685, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
refugee
noun
ref·u·gee ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē
: a person who flees for safety (as from war) usually to a foreign country
Legal Definition
refugee
noun
ref·u·gee ˌre-fyu̇-ˈjē
: an individual seeking refuge or asylum
especially : an individual who has left his or her native country and is unwilling or unable to return to it because of persecution or fear of persecution (as because of race, religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion)
refugees
noun
as in exiles
a person forced to emigrate for political reasons refugees began returning to their homeland after years of political unrest and war Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- exiles
- fugitives
- émigrés
- evacuees
- aliens
- expatriates
- deportees
- emigrés
- expats
- patriots
- outcasts
- pariahs
- loyalists
- castoffs
