expatriate
A person who lives outside their native country, often voluntarily for work or lifestyle reasons.
While technically meaning anyone living abroad, 'expatriate' (often shortened to 'expat') is typically used for professionals, retirees, or artists who choose to live abroad temporarily or permanently, often maintaining their original citizenship.
Word relationships
- emigrant: Emigrant emphasizes leaving a country permanently, whereas an expatriate may live abroad temporarily and often retains strong cultural and legal ties to their home country.
- foreigner: Foreigner is a broad, sometimes distancing term for anyone not from the host country, while expatriate focuses on the lifestyle of living outside one's homeland.
- citizen: A citizen is fully integrated into their native country, living within its borders with full legal rights.
Commonly confused with
- patriot: A patriot is someone who fiercely loves and supports their country, while an expatriate is someone who lives outside of it (though they can still be patriotic!).
Word family
- expatriation (noun): The state of being an expatriate, or the act of leaving one's native country.
Collocations
- expatriate community
- expat lifestyle
- expatriate worker
- corporate expatriate
Example sentences
- "Singapore has a large expatriate community, with thousands of foreign tech and finance professionals living in the city center." Discussing global business hubs.
- "In the 1920s, Paris became a haven for expatriate American writers like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald." A historical literary reference.
Memory hook
Ex-patriate: 'Ex' (out of) your 'Patria' (fatherland). Living out of your fatherland.
When not to use
Avoid using it to describe refugees or low-wage migrant workers, as the term historically carries a connotation of privilege and voluntary choice.
Fun facts
- The 'Lost Generation' of writers in 1920s Paris popularized the romantic image of the artistic expatriate, drinking coffee along the Seine while writing masterpieces.
Related words
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