emanate
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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
They are named after the constellation Lyra and the radiant position, which is where the meteors appear to emanate from, is south-west of the star Vega.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2025
The foreboding in her expression was so strong that Ekon felt it emanate in the air.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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 messaging that emanates from these figures steers people away from the traditional work ethic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
It emanates from a source of gratitude — gratitude for the opportunity to do meaningful work.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
This stark warning emanates from one of Wall Street’s most respected commentators, Bank of America chief equity strategist Michael Hartnett.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 27, 2026
The light emanates from a large bonfire in the center of the courtyard.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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
Both were in “the High Eighties,” as Le Guin put it, and the correspondence had a pleasing warmth that emanated from both sides.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
There are the standards Salah helped to set that emanated through the club in his and Liverpool's quest for greatness.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
More smoke emanated from his leg and head.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
There are also the 85 million pounds of food that thawed, burned and spoiled inside, creating a terrible smell emanating from the property.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
You continue to wander, and hear a cheerful female voice emanating from the enormous onstage speakers to inform everyone that water is available for purchase at any of the bar tents for just $4.
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026
Meanwhile, the strength of a brand like “60 Minutes” is its ability to plow through heavy seas emanating from corporate politics—that is, unless overly entitled employees muff it up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
In both instances, decisions emanating from Washington that affected the dollar’s international exchange rate also reflected pressures relating to U.S. politics.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
Another oddity was my discovery, one afternoon, of a large copper pot bubbling on the back burner of the stove, a peculiar smell emanating from it.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
