green card

noun

: an identity card attesting the permanent resident status of an alien in the U.S.
green-carder noun

Examples of green card in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The mother was unlawfully present in the country, and the father was not a citizen or green card holder. Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 30 June 2026 Nora Murillo Moreno said the firm told her about the fake abuse claims on the day before her green card interview. ABC News, 29 June 2026 As a green card holder in 2022, Rao was able to travel with much greater ease back home to visit India. Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026 By 2021, some forty-five thousand SIJ youth were in line for a visa and green card. E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 20 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for green card

Word History

Etymology

from the fact that it was formerly colored green

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of green card was in 1956

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Green card.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/green%20card. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

Legal Definition

green card

noun
: an identity card attesting the permanent resident status of an alien in the U.S.
Etymology

from the fact that it was formerly colored green

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