emigrate

verb

em·​i·​grate ˈe-mə-ˌgrāt How to pronounce emigrate (audio)
emigrated; emigrating
Synonyms of emigratenext

intransitive verb

: to leave one's place of residence or country to live elsewhere
emigrated from Canada to the United States

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an emigrant and an immigrant?

Immigrant and emigrant both refer to a person leaving their own country for another. However, immigrant (and its verb form immigrate) typically stresses the country someone is going to, while emigrant (and its verb emigrate) stresses the country someone is coming from. One is an immigrant to a new country, and an emigrant from an old one. See here for more on the difference between emigrant and immigrant.

Is emigrant a noun or a verb?

Emigrant is a noun, meaning "one who leaves one's place of residence or country to live elsewhere." It is synonymous with émigré, a word that is especially used of a person who has left for political reasons. The verb form of the word is emigrate.

Does emigrant imply illegality?

Both emigrant and immigrant refer to a person who has moved from one country to another, usually in permanent or semi-permanent fashion. Neither word by itself has any connotations of illegality.

Examples of emigrate 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.
In 1969, a young family pivoted—and emigrated from Poland to the United States to escape communism and seek a better life. —Gary Shapiro, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2024 At 3, she was brought to the U.S. by family members who had emigrated from Mexico, where she was born. —Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 10 Oct. 2024 At 3, after her family emigrated from China, her parents asked Xiaokang to choose an English name. —Susan Page, USA TODAY, 16 Sep. 2024 And of course multitudes dressed as Freeman, whose parents emigrated from Canada. —Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for emigrate 

Word History

Etymology

Latin emigratus, past participle of emigrare, from e- + migrare to migrate

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of emigrate was in 1749

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Dictionary Entries Near emigrate

emigrant

emigrate

emigration

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Emigrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emigrate. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

emigrate

verb
em·​i·​grate ˈem-ə-ˌgrāt How to pronounce emigrate (audio)
emigrated; emigrating
: to leave a country or region to live elsewhere
emigration
ˌem-ə-ˈgrā-shən How to pronounce emigrate (audio)
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...