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
Examples of refugee in a Sentence
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
And the Afghan refugees in Pakistan have no real rights to protect them.
—
Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 28 June 2025
The terms of the peace deal signed on Friday call for both countries to end support for non-state groups, the return of refugees, and the creation of a joint security coordination mechanism aimed at resolving disputes.
—Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 27 June 2025
There’s a dangerous narrative that refugees threaten national identity.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 25 June 2025
As a result, about 6,000 students — many of them refugees fleeing war for a better life in America — could be cut off from vital lessons necessary to succeed as the school conducts layoffs of educators to meet state requirements.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for refugee
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 28 June 2025
The terms of the peace deal signed on Friday call for both countries to end support for non-state groups, the return of refugees, and the creation of a joint security coordination mechanism aimed at resolving disputes.
—Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 27 June 2025
There’s a dangerous narrative that refugees threaten national identity.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 25 June 2025
As a result, about 6,000 students — many of them refugees fleeing war for a better life in America — could be cut off from vital lessons necessary to succeed as the school conducts layoffs of educators to meet state requirements.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for refugee
Cite this Entry
“Refugee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refugee. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
refugee
noun
ref·u·gee
ˌref-yu̇-ˈjē
ˈref-yu̇-ˌjē
: a person who flees for safety especially to a foreign country
Etymology
from French réfugié, past participle of réfugier "to put in a place of safety," from Latin refugium "a refuge," from refugere "to run away from, escape," from re- "again, against" and fugere "to run away, flee" — related to centrifugal, fugitive
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)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share