emigration

American  

[em-i-grey-shuhn] / ˌɛm ɪˈgreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of emigrating.

2. a body of emigrants; emigrants collectively.

3. Physiology. diapedesis.

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Usage

What does emigration mean? Emigration is the act or occurrence of emigrating—permanently leaving home in one country or region to settle in another.A person who is emigrating or has emigrated can be called an emigrant. Less commonly, emigration can also be used to refer to emigrants collectively.What’s the difference between emigration, immigration, and migration?Migration is the act of moving from one place to another (and perhaps back and forth). Emigration is moving out, while immigration is moving in. For this reason, the word emigration is commonly followed by from and the home country, whereas immigration is commonly followed by to and the destination country.Of course, emigration and immigration are two ways to describe the same process—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 immigration, while another may experience frequent emigration.The words migration and immigration 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 emigration is almost always about the starting point.Example: The lack of employment has caused emigration to increase significantly, with many highly skilled workers leaving the country.

Other Word Forms

• emigrational adjective
• nonemigration noun
• reemigration noun

Etymology

Origin of emigration

1640–50; < Late Latin ēmīgrātiōn- (stem of ēmīgrātiō ) removal. See emigrate, -ion

Example Sentences

The changes are cause for optimism for many in a country battling economic collapse and mass emigration.

From Barron's

Italy became a nation in 1861, but Grandi says it became “Italian at the table” only after mass emigration, industrialization, and economic growth.

From Salon

Those conditions contributed to waves of emigration, including countless refugees, as well as some members of transnational gangs.

From Salon

Ukraine has also seen deaths increase, enormous emigration – more than six million people have left the country since 2022, according to an UN estimate – and a stark decline in birth rates.

From BBC

Many, ultimately, resorted to emigration to Spanish-speaking countries like Spain or Mexico and wherever possible, Cargill found positions to accommodate them.

From MarketWatch