Expat
What is Expat?
An expat (short for expatriate) is a person living outside their native country — typically on a long-term or permanent basis — usually for work, retirement, or lifestyle reasons. The term carries a historical class connotation: traditionally, "expat" was applied to wealthy Western professionals working abroad for multinational companies, while people making similar moves from economically developing countries were typically called "migrants" or "immigrants." This double standard is widely critiqued in discussions of travel vocabulary and privilege.
In contemporary usage, the term is applied more broadly to cover anyone living abroad for an extended period: retirees relocating to southern Spain or Thailand for lower costs of living; professionals on international assignments; digital nomads who have settled in a country under a long-stay visa; and third-culture individuals who have spent formative years across multiple countries.
Example of Expat
"I'm not an expat," the British woman told Aiko, over iced coffee in their Bangkok coworking space. "I'm an immigrant. I live here permanently. I pay Thai taxes, my daughter goes to a Thai school, and I plan to apply for permanent residency next year. Expat implies I'm still going home eventually." Aiko had never thought about the distinction before. She thought about it a lot afterward.