emigrant

[ em-i-gruhnt ]

noun

1. a person who emigrates, such as from their native country or region:

   They welcomed the emigrants from Italy.

   Synonyms: expatriate, émigré

adjective

1. emigrating; leaving a country or region to settle in another.

emigrant

/ ˈɛmɪɡrənt /

noun

1. 1. a person who leaves one place or country, esp a native country, to settle in another Compare immigrant
   2. ( as modifier )

      an emigrant worker

Other Words From

• non·emi·grant noun adjective
• un·emi·grant adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of emigrant¹

An Americanism dating back to 1745–55; from Latin ēmigrant- (stem of ēmigrāns ) “moving away” (present participle of ēmigrāre ), equivalent to ē- “from, out of” + migrant- ( migr-, stem of migrāre “to remove” + -ant- adjective suffix); e- ¹, -ant )

Example Sentences

It’s told by 10 people affected by the disaster, such as a drug trafficker, an emigrant musician and an old woman selling produce in a market.

From Washington Post

She notes that the countries with the greatest number of highly educated emigrants—India, China, and the Philippines—have some of the most travel-restrictive passports.

From Quartz

At City of Rocks, seek out Register Rock, etched with names and inscriptions from California Trail emigrants who passed through in the 19th century.

From Outside Online

In 2018, thousands of emigrants from Africa and the Middle East risked their lives crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe in small, overcrowded boats.

From Quartz

Interviews with emigrants reveal that many of them have simply lost hope that things will ever get better in their home countries.

From ProPublica

We had fallen in with the advanced corps of the Emigrant army under the command of the Prince of Condé.

From Project Gutenberg

The army of emigrant nobles at Coblentz, within the dominions of the King of Prussia, was rapidly increasing in numbers.

From Project Gutenberg

It is said to be not unusual, for the peasantry of Liverpool, to speak of Mr. Bell, as a benefactor of the emigrant domestics.

From Project Gutenberg

The messenger reports that they are on the march from Fort Bent with an emigrant train, and will not be here for a week.

From Project Gutenberg

They had been turned back from the emigrant station on Ellis Island, and were now sadly returning to Liverpool.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• alien
• colonist
• displaced person
• evacuee
• expatriate
• migrant
• pilgrim
• refugee
• traveler

More About Emigrant

What does emigrant mean?

An emigrant is a person who has emigrated or is emigrating—permanently leaving home in one country or region to settle in another.

The act or occurrence of emigrating is called emigration.

What’s the difference between emigrant, immigrant, and migrant?

A migrant is a person who moves from one place to another (and perhaps back and forth). An emigrant is someone who moves away, while an immigrant is someone who moves in. For this reason, the word emigrant is often followed by from and the home country, whereas immigrant is often followed by to and the destination country.

Of course, emigrant and immigrant often refer to the same person—people who are emigrating are also immigrating (if they leave, they have to go somewhere).

But there are good reasons to use each word in different situations. For example, one country may be a common destination for immigrants, while another may experience the frequent departure of emigrants.

The words migrant and immigrant are more likely to be used to describe such relocation in a general way (that is, a way that takes both the starting point and the destination into account), whereas emigrant is almost always used in reference to the place that has been left.

Less commonly, emigrant can be used as an adjective to mean in the process of emigrating, as in emigrant peoples. 

Another word for an emigrant is émigré, which especially refers to an emigrant who has fled their country due to political conditions.

Example: The lack of employment has caused a significant number of emigrants  to leave the country in search of jobs.

Where does emigrant come from?

The first records of the verb emigrant come from around 1750. It was first used in the United States. It comes from the Latin ēmīgrāns, meaning “moving away.” This word derives from the Latin verb ēmīgrāre, from mīgrāre, meaning “to depart” or “to move from place to place.” The e– part means “out of” or “from.” (In immigrant, the im- part means “in” or “into.”)

The word emigrant typically implies movement out of one country into another (as opposed to movement out of a city or state into another one in the same country). Most countries track statistics about such movement, especially in relation to how it may affect their economies. Although emigrate implies a permanent departure, a person may be an emigrant again and again until they settle in some place.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to emigrant?

• emigrate (verb)
• emigration (noun)

What are some synonyms for emigrant?

• émigré

What are some words that share a root or word element with emigrant? 

• migration
• immigration

What are some words that often get used in discussing emigrant?

• depart
• leave
• home
• country
• nation
• refugee
• journey
• population
• citizenship

What are some words emigrant may be commonly confused with?

• immigrant
• migrant

How is emigrant used in real life?

Emigrants are often discussed in the context of history and economics. The word emigrant is somewhat less commonly used than immigrant and migrant, since those two can be used more generally.

The number of emigrants from sub-Saharan countries grew by 50% or more between 2010 and 2017, significantly more than the 17% worldwide average increase for the same period https://t.co/aIHHXU6MR1 pic.twitter.com/gMsPtUmtzr

— Pew Research Fact Tank (@FactTank) February 28, 2018

Next time someone says "Britain has too many immigrants", show them this. Over the long run, Britain has exported far more people than it has imported. Since 1855 there have been 36m immigrants *to* Britain but 45m emigrants *from* Britain. Long-run net migration from UK of -9m. pic.twitter.com/E7OUbtbzYa

— Callum Williams (@econcallum) April 17, 2018

As an emigrant I find these small, simple plaques very moving. These two are on the mainland, facing the tiny islands on which these two Connemara women were born. Margaret went to northern England, Maureen to the USA. What stories lie behind them? pic.twitter.com/zOb2OVMTDU

— Ireland / Mark (@ireland) November 23, 2019

 

 

Try using emigrant!

Which of the following people would be the primary subjects of a study of emigrants from Germany to France?

A. People who have left France to live in Germany
B. People who have left Germany to live in France
C. People who move back and forth between Germany and France
D. People who have left Germany to vacation in France