refugee
REHF-yuud-zhee
Refugee (noun) means a person who has fled their home country to escape war, persecution, or disaster. Example: “The volunteers gave blankets and hot meals to a refugee who had just arrived.”
noun
1
A person who has fled their home country to escape war, persecution, or disaster.
"The volunteers gave blankets and hot meals to a refugee who had just arrived."
"The camp housed thousands of refugees from the conflict."
"Many refugees rebuild their lives entirely in a new country."
How to use refugee
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone forced to leave their home country, usually because staying would put them in danger.
Common mistake
A refugee has fled across an international border; someone displaced but still inside their own country is usually called an "internally displaced person," not a refugee.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
refugee camp
refugee status
a wave of refugees
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Word forms
- Plural
- refugees
- Third person singular
- refugees
- Past tense
- refugeed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The volunteers gave blankets and hot meals to a _____ who had just arrived.
Etymology
From French réfugié, "one who has taken refuge," originally describing French Protestants fleeing religious persecution in the 1680s; the modern broader sense of civilians fleeing war dates to World War I.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for refugee
See all rhymes for refugee →Frequently asked questions
What does “refugee” mean?
The word “refugee” means a person who has fled their home country to escape war, persecution, or disaster. In plain terms, someone forced to leave their home country, usually because staying would put them in danger.
How do you pronounce “refugee”?
“Refugee” is pronounced REHF-yuud-zhee (/ˈɹɛfjʊd͡ʒiː/ in IPA).
How do you use “refugee” in a sentence?
Here is “refugee” used in a sentence: “The camp housed thousands of refugees from the conflict.”
What is another word for “refugee”?
Words with a similar meaning to “refugee” include flightling.
What part of speech is “refugee”?
“Refugee” is a noun.
Where does the word “refugee” come from?
The word “refugee” dates back to around 1680 and comes from French. From French réfugié, "one who has taken refuge," originally describing French Protestants fleeing religious persecution in the 1680s; the modern broader sense of civilians fleeing war dates to World War I.
Is “refugee” a common word?
“Refugee” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
What is the difference between a refugee and an asylum seeker?
A refugee is a person who has fled their home country to escape war, persecution, or disaster. An asylum seeker is someone who has asked another country for protection and is still waiting for that claim to be decided; if the claim succeeds, they are formally recognized as a refugee.
What is the difference between a refugee and a migrant?
A migrant is anyone who moves from one place or country to another, often for work, study, or family reasons. A refugee is specifically a person forced to flee their home country to escape war, persecution, or disaster. The key difference is choice: migration can be voluntary, whereas refugees flee out of necessity.
What is the difference between a refugee and an internally displaced person?
A refugee has crossed an international border after fleeing war, persecution, or disaster. An internally displaced person has been forced from their home for similar reasons but remains inside their own country. Crossing a border is what makes someone a refugee rather than internally displaced.
Can someone fleeing a natural disaster be called a refugee?
In everyday English, yes: refugee covers people who flee war, persecution, or disaster, and phrases like "flood refugees" are common. In international law the term is narrower and is tied mainly to persecution, so aid organizations may use other labels for people displaced by disasters.
