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refugee

(attributive, also, figurative) A person seeking refuge (as for shelter or protection), especially in a foreign country, out of fear or prospect of political, religious persecution, war, natural disas

ˈɹɛfjʊd͡ʒiːDocumented since 1910s1910sSilenthistoricalCurrent188 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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3 definitions
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8 citations · last seen May 2026

Etymology timeline

Born ~1914 · 1 year of recorded use
1914Born2026: 8 citationsToday, 2026

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#1·Apr 27, 2026

(attributive, also, figurative) A person seeking refuge (as for shelter or protection), especially in a foreign country, out of fear or prospect of political, religious persecution, war, natural disaster, etc.

Origin: From , past participle of réfugier, from from , originally describing French Huguenots fleeing religious persecution after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. 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). . Displaced native. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Cluster: fear
Heard in the wild
  • “Every Christian--every last sister and brother who names the name of Jesus--is in fact simply a refugee, an alien, whom Christ has claimed and called to belong to his realm, his kingdom. Jesus' word is enough to make us belong. beinggraced.blogspot.com/2026/05/gods...”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “OHGO Traffic Camera: (City of Columbus) Hamilton Rd at Refugee Rd Camera View Lat/Lng: 39.915721, -82.880821”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Newly elected to parliament, former refugee Ariana Ahmadi is determined to do her best for her country, but it doesn't take long for best laid plans to unravel #politics #political mybook.to/PEh79is”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Like I was drawing for the zine way back when I was in Ukraine during COVID times. And I received my own copy when I was a refugee in Czech Republic. That long”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Reform council withdraws from refugee scheme to 'put British people first' via GB News”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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#2·Apr 27, 2026

(transitive, US, historical) To convey (slaves) away from the advance of the federal forces.

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#3·Apr 27, 2026

(disparaging, by extension) A person who is fleeing from justice, punishment deemed righteous, etc.; a runaway, a fugitive.

The eight military bases being used to house Afghan refugees have a total capacity of 50,000 to house evacuees. The nine refugee resettlement agencies who work in coordination with the federal government will ultimately determine where A…
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  • “Migrant crisis: Pat McFadden grilled on Labour plan for ‘safe and legal’ refugee routes as crisis nears 200,000 crossings https://www.europesays.com/2969587/ Pat McFadden faced a grilling on GB News on Labour’s latest plan to move to “safe and legal”…”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Kurdistan region of Iraq: Navigating refugee crisis amidst geopolitical storms- The Week https://www.europesays.com/iran/100268/ The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) sits at a unique geopolitical crossroads, bordering Syria, Türkiye, and Iran. The…”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “It was what they saw on the banks of the canal that brought home to them in Dublin 6 what otherwise was effectively invisible to them around there. If refugee or immigrant public housing was on Palmerston Road, the veneer of civilisation might slip even in D6.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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