migratory

/ˈmaɪgrətɔri/

/ˈmaɪgrətɔri/

Animals that change locations with the seasons are said to be migratory. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are migratory. They spend winter in the warmer climate of Mexico, Central, and South America and then return to the eastern United States in the spring.

People who move from place to place in search of work are said to be migratory. The adjective is often used in combination with the noun workers. In the United States, migratory workers travel from state to state to help bring in the harvest, often with whole families traveling together. After a cold winter, you might want to be a bit migratory yourself: you could move south to Florida in the winter and return north to Ottawa each spring.

Definitions of migratory

1. adjective

   used of animals that move seasonally
   “migratory birds”

   antonyms:

   nonmigratory

   used of animals that do not migrate
2. adjective

   habitually moving from place to place especially in search of seasonal work
   “migratory workers”

   synonyms: migrant

   unsettled

   not settled or established