emanate
Americanverb (used without object)
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emanates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
emanated,
past participle, past
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emanating
present participle
verb (used with object)
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emanates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
emanated,
past participle, past
-
emanating
present participle
verb
-
to issue or proceed from or as from a source
-
(tr) to send forth; emit
Usage
What are other ways to say emanate?
To emanate is to flow out or proceed, as from a source or origin. How is emanate different from emerge and issue? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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emanatornoun
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reemanateverb (used without object)
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emanativeadjective
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emanatoryadjective
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unemanativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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emanatesimple
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emanatessimple
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have emanatedperfect
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has emanatedperfect
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am emanatingprogressive
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are emanatingprogressive
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is emanatingprogressive
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have been emanatingperfect progressive
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has been emanatingperfect progressive
Past
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emanatedsimple
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had emanatedperfect
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was emanatingprogressive
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were emanatingprogressive
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had been emanatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of emanate
First recorded in 1780–90; from Latin ēmānātus “having flowed out” (past participle of ēmānāre ), equivalent to ē- “out of, from” + mān-, stem of mānāre “to flow, trickle” + -ātus adjective suffix; see e- 1, -ate 1
Explanation
Emanate means to give off, like the sound of laughter that emanates from your sister's room during her slumber party. If spooky sounds emanate from the closet, don’t open the door! The word emanate comes from the Latin emanare, which means “to flow out.” Things that emanate come from somewhere. Heat emanates from a fire, and smoke emanates from a chimney. This word can also be used figuratively: for example, you might say that your upbeat and optimistic best friend emanates positivity.
Vocabulary lists containing emanate
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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"The Landlady" by Roald Dahl
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Declaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)
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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.
See Examples For:
And it may again emanate from across the pond.
From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026
Much of the rest of the bottom line growth would emanate from share repurchases, which reduces the number of shares and increases earnings per share.
From Barron's ● Mar. 19, 2026
But I can’t think of a better term to describe the bizarre hypotheses that emanate from almost every news event of national or international significance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025
Critics say Ola's troubles emanate from typical culture issues that plague many start-ups - including CEO-driven decision-making, constant pivots and unrealistic, high-pressure deadlines.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2025
And I can’t believe that something like that would emanate from my room in real life.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
The light emanates from a glow-in-the-dark ice lolly.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Mr. Simms, a historian at the University of Cambridge, is no sentimentalist, and the tone of his book emanates a bracing realism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
The most pressing issue emanates from Iran, which was the late February catalyst for the shaky performance.
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
There’s a welcome familiarity to Sally Field that emanates through the screen as you watch “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” a charmingly sweet adaptation of Shelby Van Pelt’s hit 2022 novel of the same name.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
Katherine's smile reveals none of the discomfort that emanates from her.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
In recent weeks, most agree that selling pressure has emanated not just from mortgage bondholders but also from investors in U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
"This agency actually emanated and found itself in the budget from the executive," he said - meaning it came from within the president's own side of government, not from parliament.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
For several years, stock-market leadership emanated from tech companies with spectacular earnings, low debt profiles and huge piles of cash.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
Residents rushed to shelters clutching bags and blankets, AFP journalists observed, as a large plume of smoke emanated from Kyiv's city centre.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
There was a faint smell of dirty socks, which emanated from a pair of sneakers next to the front door.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
This conversation, which took place in a backstage trailer vibrating from the country and hip-hop tunes emanating from nearby stages, has been edited for length and clarity.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026
I’m afraid that’s the only reasonable conclusion to be drawn from the past few days of rage and tactlessness emanating from Texas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
For decades scientists and researchers have been vexed by a sound emanating from cats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Pakistan has previously blamed the violence in border provinces on militant activity emanating from Afghanistan.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
As I approached the nearest tunnel entrance, I heard loud music emanating from below.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
