refugee
UK: ˌrefjʊˈdʒiː | US: ˈrefjʊdʒiː
n. a person who has been forced to leave their country to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.
refugee = refuge<safe haven> + ee<person who receives or does>
- refuge: From Latin refugium ("a place of shelter"), combining re- (back) + fugere (to flee).
- -ee: A suffix of Old French origin (-é), indicating a person affected by an action (e.g., "employee," "nominee").
Etymology Origin:
The word "refugee" emerged in 17th-century French (réfugié) to describe Protestants fleeing persecution in Catholic France. It combines "refuge" (safety) with "-ee" (person), literally meaning "one who seeks shelter." The term later broadened to include anyone displaced by conflict or disaster, reflecting its Latin roots in flight (fugere) and retreat (re-).
The refugee camp provided temporary shelter for families escaping the war.
She works for an NGO that supports refugee children.
Many refugees risk dangerous journeys to reach safer countries.
The government pledged to resettle 10,000 refugees this year.
His parents were refugees who rebuilt their lives abroad.