Expatriate
noun /ɛksˈpæt.ri.ɪt/ — A person living outside their native country.
Definition
A person who lives outside their native country, either temporarily or permanently. Distinguished from an immigrant by the implication that they have chosen to leave and may return, and often by class.
Beyond the definition
To be an expatriate is to carry two addresses — the one on your door and the one in your chest. Physical absence from home creates a homeland in memory that may never have existed quite so clearly when you lived there.
Origin & history
From Medieval Latin 'expatriatus' (banished from one's country); from 'ex-' (out of) + 'patria' (fatherland). Originally meant exile; later adopted voluntarily.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The Paris expatriate scene of the 1920s — Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Stein — produced some of the most influential American literature.
She had been an expatriate for fifteen years; she no longer knew what she would return to if she went home.
The word 'expatriate' does a lot of cultural work: rich people abroad are expatriates; poor ones are immigrants.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Expatriate” when the meaning fits your context: A person who lives outside their native country, either temporarily or permanently. Distinguished from an immigrant by the implication that they have chosen to leave and may return, and often by class.
Synonyms
expat, emigrant, emigré, foreigner
Antonyms
native, resident, citizen
Related words
Expatriate vs immigrant
An expatriate typically maintains their citizenship while living abroad temporarily. An immigrant moves to another country with the intent to settle permanently.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Traveler By Campfire In Desert
A traveler sits by a campfire in a vast, open desert at night with their belongings packed simply beside them.
An expatriate is someone choosing to live outside their native land. The traveler's simple setup in a foreign landscape illustrates the intentionality and choice inherent in living abroad compared to being an immigrant.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Expatriate" mean?
Expatriate is noun meaning: A person living outside their native country.. A person who lives outside their native country, either temporarily or permanently. Distinguished from an immigrant by the implication that they have chosen to leave and may return, and often by class.
Where does the word "Expatriate" come from?
From Medieval Latin 'expatriatus' (banished from one's country); from 'ex-' (out of) + 'patria' (fatherland). Originally meant exile; later adopted voluntarily.