emigrate

[ em-i-greyt ]

verb (used without object)

, em·i·grat·ed, em·i·grat·ing.

1. to leave one country or region to settle in another; migrate:

   to emigrate from Ireland to Australia.

emigrate

/ ˈɛmɪˌɡreɪt /

verb

1. See immigrate
   intr to leave one place or country, esp one's native country, in order to settle in another Compare immigrate

Derived Forms

• ˈemiˌgratory, adjective

Other Words From

• emi·grative adjective
• re·emi·grate verb (used without object) reemigrated reemigrating
• un·emi·grating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of emigrate¹

First recorded in 1770–80; from Latin ēmīgrātus “moved away” (past participle of ēmīgrāre ), equivalent to ē- “from, away from, out of” ( e- ¹ ) + mīgrātus ( mīgr- “remove” + ātus verb suffix ( -ate ¹ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of emigrate¹

C18: from Latin ēmīgrāre, from mīgrāre to depart, migrate

Synonym Study

See migrate.

Example Sentences

During the Cold War, the West Germans used to pay the East Germans to release political prisoners and allow them to emigrate.

From The Daily Beast

According to The Guardian, in some small communities, youth are handed money to emigrate to richer Norway.

From The Daily Beast

My friend Danny and I had memorized a list of refuseniks—Soviet Jews denied the right to emigrate—to visit.

From The Daily Beast

And the inequality of economic burden is what pushes the most educated of young Israelis to emigrate.

From The Daily Beast

Local politicians have urged gays to emigrate; some are kicked out of school, excommunicated from their families.

From The Daily Beast

What part of the great continent shall our destination be—shall we emigrate to the North or South?

From Project Gutenberg

The Marquis d'Esgrignon, though not having to emigrate, was still obliged to conceal himself.

From Project Gutenberg

Those who do not dwell in the equatorial countries emigrate every autumn, just as your birds do.

From Project Gutenberg

The guardians were authorised to emigrate poor persons, whether in receipt of relief or not.

From Project Gutenberg

Forty or fifty night-walkers were sent every week to Bridewell, and numbers were induced to emigrate to the colonies.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• depart
• migrate
• quit