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

Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist—an ambitious three-hour epic about a brilliant architect who emigrates to the United States post-World War II— and John M. Chu’s Wicked—the first part of the beloved Broadway musical’s film adaptation— followed closely behind with 10 nominations each. —Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 2 Mar. 2025

The Brutalist is said to be based on the life of Hungarian-German architect Marcel Breuer, who emigrated to America and designed over 100 buildings in his lifetime. —Kissa Castaneda, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025

But Brody gave both a physical and emotional performance as a Hungarian Jew who emigrates and gets caught up in the web of the American dream and a nightmare project overseen by a creepy American entrepreneur. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025

To emigrate from Germany, the Weber children had to be declared orphans – an arrangement their father agreed to in hopes his kids could live a better life in the United States. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 24 Feb. 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