Word
refugee
US/ˈɹɛfjudʒi/
UK/ɹˈɛfjuːdʒˌiː/
Definitions
01person fleeing danger
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. someone who leaves their home because it is not safe to stay there, often because of war or politics.
n. a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.
“Thousands of refugees crossed the border to find safety from the fighting.”
“The international community struggled to provide adequate housing and medical supplies for the influx of refugees fleeing the civil war.”
Usage
Often used with the verbs 'flee', 'seek', or 'settle'.
Pitfall
The country welcomed many refugee.
The country welcomed many refugees.
Refugee is a countable noun; use the plural form when talking about more than one person.
Teaching tip
Distinguish from 'migrant', which is a broader term for anyone moving to a new area, often for economic reasons.
Synonyms
02person seeking shelter
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. someone who goes to a safe place to escape a difficult situation.
n. a person seeking refuge or shelter from a specific, non-political hardship or local disaster.
“The families became refugees in their own city after the flood destroyed their homes.”
“Following the catastrophic wildfire, local community centers were converted into temporary hubs for domestic refugees.”
Teaching tip
In modern contexts, 'internally displaced person' (IDP) is the more technical term for those who haven't crossed an international border.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “refugee” in context.
Verb
01. assist refugees
“Local charities are raising funds to assist refugees with food and medical supplies.”
verb + noun
02. grant asylum to refugees
“Several neighboring countries agreed to grant asylum to refugees fleeing the conflict.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
03. resettle refugees
“The international agency works tirelessly to resettle refugees in safe third countries.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. displaced refugee
“The camp was built to provide temporary shelter for every displaced refugee in the region.”
adj + noun
05. political refugee
“He arrived at the border as a political refugee seeking protection from the regime.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. refugee camp
“Conditions in the refugee camp have improved since the arrival of new aid shipments.”
noun + noun
07. influx of refugees
“The sudden influx of refugees put a significant strain on the town's resources.”
noun + of + noun
08. refugee status
“It took nearly two years for the family to be officially recognized and granted refugee status.”
noun + noun
Real-World Examples
“But a growing body of research, including my own, points to a difficulty that gets far less attention: how refugees feel they are treated in everyday American life.” “During and after World War I, they worked together to assist Jewish refugees in Europe .” “Other refugees resettled in the U.K., Australia, Canada or the U.S.” Etymology
From French réfugié, past participle of réfugier (“to take refuge, to seek refuge”), from Old French refuge (“hiding place”) from Latin refugium (“a place of refuge, place to flee back to”), originally describing French Huguenots fleeing religious persecution after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. Noun sense 1 was "one seeking asylum" until 1914, when it evolved to mean more generally "one fleeing home" (first applied in this sense to civilians in Flanders heading west to escape fighting in World War I). By surface analysis, refuge + -ee. Displaced native Old English flīema.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 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 IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/refugee