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

Siegel and his wife, Aviva, settled in Kibbutz Kfar Aza after emigrating there. —Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 14 Feb. 2025

According to a comment from the TikTok poster, the family purchased a company in the U.S. and are currently in the process of emigrating under an E-2 visa. —Justin Gest, Newsweek, 10 Feb. 2025

Most settled in Latin America and the Caribbean, but after the pandemic, migrants increasingly set their sights on the U.S. Venezuelans’ desire for better living conditions and their rejection of Maduro and his policies are expected to keep pushing people to emigrate. —Regina Garcia Cano, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025

Born in Kathmandu, Hamal had spent part of his childhood in rural western Nepal before emigrating to the U.S. with his politician father and teacher mother, who sought political asylum in 1999 during a period of violence and civil war in Nepal. —Alex Konrad, Forbes, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined above

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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