emigrate

verb

em·​i·​grate ˈe-mə-ˌgrāt 

emigrated; emigrating

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 stress the country going to, while emigrant (and its verb emigrate) stress the country 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

Corbet ultimately lands the plane, with his epic about a Hungarian architect who emigrates to the United States post-WWII, and dedicates his life to building a masterpiece structure for a wealthy, wolfish client. —Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2024

He was born in London in 1969 to parents who had emigrated from India in search of a better life. —Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2024

Alissa’s family emigrated from Syria, his 34-year-old brother, Ali Aliwi Alissa, told CNN at the time. —Ray Sanchez and Andi Babineau, CNN, 5 Sep. 2024

To be sure, in the late 1800s and especially in the years before and after the Holocaust, many Jews emigrated from various European countries to the land of their forefathers. —Avi Shafran, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

emigrate

verb

em·​i·​grate ˈem-ə-ˌgrāt 

emigrated; emigrating

: to leave a country or region to live elsewhere

emigration

ˌem-ə-ˈgrā-shən 

noun