noun
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an act or instance of emanating
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something that emanates or is produced; effusion
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a gaseous product of radioactive decay, such as radon
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of emanation
1560–70; < Late Latin ēmānātiōn- (stem of ēmānātiō ), equivalent to ēmānāt ( us ) ( see emanate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Stinky smell coming from under the floor? Weird light from the garden shed at night? That's an emanation, something, often invisible, that is emitted by something. Emanation is very similar in meaning to emission, and the two words are often used interchangeably, though there is an important difference; there tends to be something slightly more other-worldy and inexplicable about an emanation, owing in part to the word's theological use in the Christian religion as a means of describing the Holy Spirit. An emission always has a solid base in reality or science, and an emanation may be just plain spooky.
Vocabulary lists containing emanation
1984
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"The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury
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The Golden Compass
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The defining attribute of a dictatorship, as well as of kingship in its ancient and absolute form, is the assertion that law—its making, interpretation, adjudication, and enforcement—is an emanation of the will of one man.
From Slate • Feb. 21, 2025
“The form of the danger is an emanation of energy. The danger is unleashed only if you substantially disturb this place physically. This place is best shunned and left uninhabited.”
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2024
They return as an emanation of our hopes and fears, often at times of great uncertainty.
From New York Times • Feb. 16, 2023
“Chills and fever have been attributed for ages to ‘miasm,’ an emanation from the earth so subtle that the ablest chemist was not able to detect it.
From Scientific American • Nov. 6, 2021
“That phases out laser emanation and spreads the beam into ordinary light.”
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
