refugee

pronunciation

How to pronounce refugee in British English: UK [ˌrefjuˈdʒiː]word uk audio image

How to pronounce refugee in American English: US [ˌrefjuˈdʒiː] word us audio image

  • Noun:
    an exile who flees for safety

Word Origin

refugee (n.)
1680s, from French refugié, noun use of past participle of refugier "to take shelter, protect," from Old French refuge (see refuge). First applied to French Huguenots who migrated after the revocation (1685) of the Edict of Nantes. The word meant "one seeking asylum," till 1914, when it evolved to mean "one fleeing home" (first applied in this sense to civilians in Flanders heading west to escape fighting in World War I). In Australian slang from World War II, reffo.

Example

1. In 2010 he was granted refugee status in ecuador .
2. India has the largest tibetan refugee population in the world , estimated at 85000 .
3. The most visible refugee camps have been emptied .
4. Kids getting off truck at burkina refugee camp .
5. Less than a third of refugee girls are in school .

more: >How to Use "refugee" with Example Sentences