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 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

But less than a year after emigrating, Ranga's father had a massive heart attack and tragically passed away at the age of 39, an event that haunted Ranga until his own massive heart attack that nearly killed him in 2017. —Outside Online, 14 May 2025

According to the Foreign Ministry, citizenship recognitions abroad have surged, especially in South America, where millions of Italians emigrated during the 19th and 20th centuries. —Erica Firpo, AFAR Media, 2 May 2025

Do Won and Jin Sook Chang, South Korean immigrants in Los Angeles, founded the fast-fashion retail giant in 1984, just three years after the couple emigrated from their home country. —Claire Wang, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2025

The couple had eventually settled in the UAE after emigrating from Iran in the revolution’s wake. —Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for emigrate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

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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