Word
migrate
Phoneticsmi·grate, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈmaɪˌɡɹeɪt/
UK/maɪɡɹˈeɪt/
Definitions
01animals/birds
B2 · Upper Intermediate Science
v. to move from one part of the world to another at certain times of the year.
v. to relocate periodically from one region to another, typically in response to seasonal changes or breeding cycles.
“Many birds migrate south in the winter to find warmer weather and more food.”
“Arctic terns migrate incredible distances each year, traveling from their northern breeding grounds to the Antarctic and back again.”
02people/residency
B2 · Upper Intermediate Academic
v. to move to a different country or area to live and work there.
v. to change one's place of residence or geographic pattern of habitation, often across political borders.
“Thousands of workers migrate to the cities every year looking for better jobs.”
“During the nineteenth century, millions of people migrated from Europe to the Americas in search of economic opportunity and political stability.”
03computing/data
C1 · Advanced Computing Technical
v. to move computer data or software from one system or format to another.
v. to transfer data, software, or hardware configurations from one operating environment or storage format to another.
“The company needs to migrate all its old files to the new cloud system.”
“The IT department spent the weekend migrating the legacy database to a more secure server architecture to improve performance.”
Usage
The verb is both transitive (to migrate data) and intransitive (the system migrated). Often takes the prepositions 'to' or 'from'.
Pitfall
migrate the data into the new system
migrate the data to the new system
In a computing context, 'to' is the standard preposition for the destination of a migration.
Real-World Examples
“The African armyworm causes the most damage in its caterpillar stage but is also hard to control when it develops into a moth, allowing populations to migrate.” “The men’s attention migrated toward food in the middle of conversations, tasks, their own sentences.” Etymology
First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin migrātus, perfect passive participle of migrō (“to migrate, change, transport”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/migrate