Synonyms

emanate

American

[em-uh-neyt] / ˈɛm əˌneɪt /

verb (used without object)

to flow out, issue, or proceed, as from a source or origin; come forth; originate.

Synonyms:

flow, spring, arise

verb (used with object)

to send forth; emit.

emanate British

/ ˈɛməˌneɪtərɪ, ˈɛməˌneɪt, -trɪ, ˈɛmənətɪv /

verb

to issue or proceed from or as from a source
(tr) to send forth; emit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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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:

emanate emanates emanated emanating

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

Specifically, she never clarifies for us whether the threats faced by her characters are external and real, or whether they emanate from deep within themselves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 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

Charles Wallace shook his head, and scorn and disapproval seemed to emanate from him.

From "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle

Young people gather around, recording the action on their cellphones as tinny, video game-like music emanates from a speaker.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

The light emanates from a glow-in-the-dark ice lolly.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 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

Katherine's smile reveals none of the discomfort that emanates from her.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

"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

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

The guidance weakness emanated from its Optum unit, which offers physician services, fitness services, health data for other companies, and pharmacy benefits management.

From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026

“Ahhhh!” the boy screamed, pointing at the space Millard’s voice emanated from.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

"This underscores the resiliency of the economy in the face of the energy price shock emanating from the war in the Middle East."

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

Looking ahead: Strong consumer and business spending “underscores the resiliency of the economy in the face of the energy price shock emanating from the war in the Middle East,” said Nationwide Chief Economist Kathy Bostjancic.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

Donis said multiple people reached out with complaints of a foul smell emanating from the river.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 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

I was shocked by the student’s blatant disrespect and, honestly, I was a little bit worried too by the naked hostility emanating from these teens.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023