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Definition of "refugee" [ref•u•gee]

  • One who flees in search of refuge, as in times of war, political oppression, or religious persecution. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "refugee" in a sentence
  • "Not because "refugee" connotes someone from outside the country who seeks refuge from a political situation which it does, but because the term refugee makes it sound as though helping these people were optional and contingent upon our charitable feelings, rather than an obligation to our fellow citizens."
  • "You've heard on this broadcast, by the way, several people, including Reverend Jesse Jackson and others admonish us not to use the term refugee when describing the New Orleans citizens who have had to flee their homes."
  • "Even a cursory review of reporting of such disaster of Hurricane Andrew, the 1993 Midwestern floods and wildfires through the West have all prompted the use of the term refugee by news organizations."