migration
B2Neutral to formal. Common in academic, news, technical, and business contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The movement of people, animals, or data from one place to another.
In computing, the process of transferring data or software from one system to another. In biology, the seasonal movement of animals. A gradual process of change or transition.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a degree of permanence in the new location. Can be voluntary or forced. Carries connotations of large-scale movement and significant impact.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use the term identically in core meaning. Potential minor differences in collocational frequency (e.g., 'net migration' slightly more common in UK official statistics).
Connotations
Identical primary connotations. In political discourse, both regions heavily associate the term with international population movements.
Frequency
Very high frequency in both varieties due to global relevance of the topic.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Migration from [place] to [place]Migration of [people/animals/data]Migration into/out of [area]Migration due to/because of [cause]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Migration is a fact of life.”
- “A tide of migration”
- “To follow the migration route”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Referring to the transfer of operations, data, or personnel: 'The company's cloud migration was completed ahead of schedule.'
Academic
Describing historical, sociological, or biological phenomena: 'The study analyzed the push-and-pull factors of 19th-century migration.'
Everyday
Talking about people or animals moving: 'We're tracking the annual migration of the geese.'
Technical
In IT: 'The server migration requires a full system backup.' In demography: 'Net migration rates are calculated annually.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The birds will migrate south in autumn.
- Many families migrated to the cities after the war.
- We need to migrate the database to a new server.
American English
- The whales migrate along the coast each year.
- Workers migrated north for factory jobs.
- The company is migrating its email system to the cloud.
adverb
British English
- The data was moved migrationally to the new platform. (Rare)
- Species spread migrationally across the continent. (Rare)
American English
- The files were transferred migrationally. (Rare, 'in a migration' is preferred)
- Populations expanded migrationally. (Rare)
adjective
British English
- The migration route is clearly mapped.
- They face migration-related challenges.
- A new migration policy was announced.
American English
- The migration patterns have shifted.
- They studied migration trends over the last decade.
- The software handles migration tasks.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Bird migration happens every year.
- Some fish have a long migration.
- The great migration of wildebeest is amazing to see.
- There has been a lot of migration from the countryside to the city.
- Government policies can significantly influence patterns of international migration.
- The data migration to the new system was complex but successful.
- Historians debate the socio-economic catalysts for the mass migration that followed the industrial revolution.
- The seamless migration of legacy applications to a microservices architecture is a key strategic goal.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'GRATE' – people/things moving *through* it from one side to another. MI-GRATE-ion.
Conceptual Metaphor
MIGRATION IS A FLOW / A JOURNEY / A TIDE. (e.g., 'waves of migration', 'migration flows', 'to embark on a migration')
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'миграция' (direct cognate, correct). Be aware that 'переселение' can also translate as 'resettlement', which is a type of migration. 'Эмиграция' is 'emigration' (leaving), 'иммиграция' is 'immigration' (entering).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'immigration/emigration' when the direction is unspecified (use 'migration'). Confusing 'migration' (process) with 'migrant' (person). Misspelling as 'migraton' or 'migartion'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'migration' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Migration is the general process of moving. Emigration is leaving one's country to settle in another (exit). Immigration is entering a new country to settle (incoming).
Yes, it's commonly used for animals (bird migration) and in computing/IT (data migration, system migration).
It is neutral, but its connotation depends entirely on context. It can be seen positively (opportunity, freedom) or negatively (displacement, strain on resources).
It is the difference between the number of immigrants (people arriving) and the number of emigrants (people leaving) for a given region in a period.
Collections
Part of a collection
Global Issues
B2 · 47 words · Vocabulary for discussing world problems and politics.