expat life
/ˈɛkspæt laɪf/
CommonThe experience of living outside your home country long-term, usually by choice.
The word 'expat' itself is contested. Critics point out that wealthy Western people living abroad get called expats while others doing the same are called immigrants. Online, 'expat life' is mostly used positively, often as a hashtag and identity.
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | three years into expat life in lisbon and i'm never going back | The person has fully committed to living in Lisbon and has no plans to return home. | instagram, 2024 |
| 02 | expat life is great until you have to do your taxes | Living abroad is appealing in many ways but creates complex financial obligations. | x, 2023 |
| 03 | expat life is just immigration for people who don't want to call it that | Challenging the distinction between 'expat' and 'immigrant' as class-based language. | x, 2024 |
| 04 | nobody tells you how lonely expat life gets the first six months. push through it | The early period of living abroad can be isolating, but it improves. | reddit, 2024 |
Use it when
- Someone has relocated to a foreign country long-term or permanently.
- Describing the lifestyle and community of people living outside their home country.
- Captioning content about living abroad.
Do not use it when
- Someone is on a long trip but still considers home to be their origin country.Use “backpacker” instead.
- You mean someone who has formally immigrated and has no plans to return.
Expat life vs backpacker
expat life
Expat life means you have put down roots in a foreign country and built a daily life there.
backpacker
A backpacker is always moving, rarely stays long in any one place, and does not settle.
Origin and context
The word expatriate has Latin roots (ex + patria, meaning 'out of the fatherland') and has been used in English since the 18th century. The shortened 'expat' and the compound 'expat life' as a social media identity emerged in the 2010s.
- First seen
- 18th century
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/expat-life