emigrate

American  

[em-i-greyt] / ˈɛm ɪˌgreɪt /

verb (used without object)

emigrated, emigrating

1. to leave one country or region to settle in another; migrate.

   to emigrate from Ireland to Australia.

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emigrate British  

/ ˈɛmɪˌɡreɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to leave one place or country, esp one's native country, in order to settle in another Compare immigrate

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Usage

What does emigrate mean? Emigrate means to permanently leave home in one country or region to settle in another. The act or occurrence of emigrating is called emigration. A person who is emigrating or has emigrated can be called an emigrant. What’s the difference between emigrate, immigrate, and migrate?To migrate is to move from one place to another (and perhaps back and forth). To emigrate is to move out, and to immigrate is to move in. For this reason, the word emigrate is commonly followed by from and the home country, whereas immigrate is commonly followed by to and the destination country. Of course, emigrate and immigrate 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 people to immigrate to, while another may be a place that people are frequently emigrating from. The words migrate and immigrate 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 emigrate is almost always about the starting point. Example: The lack of employment has caused a significant number of people to emigrate, with many highly skilled workers leaving the country.

Related Words

See migrate.

Other Word Forms

• emigrative adjective
• emigratory adjective
• reemigrate verb (used without object)
• unemigrating adjective

Etymology

Origin of emigrate

First recorded in 1770–80; from Latin ēmīgrātus “moved away” (past participle of ēmīgrāre ), equivalent to ē- “from, away from, out of” ( e- ¹ ) + mīgrātus ( mīgr- “remove” + ātus verb suffix ( -ate ¹ )

Explanation

If you move to a different country, you emigrate. For example, if you emigrate from Canada and go to Italy, you aren't on vacation — you are making Italy your new home. Benvenuti! The verb emigrate comes from the Latin word emigrare, which means “move away,” or “depart from a place.” The words emigrate and immigrate both mean that a person has decided to permanently live in a foreign country, but to emigrate is to leave your country, and to immigrate is to come into a new country. To emigrate is to exit.

Example Sentences

Given the proximity, many Cubans who do not identify with Havana's politics emigrate to the US, which is one of the reasons why Miami has such a large Cuban-American demographic.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

That’s why the British press is full of stories about entrepreneurs and other high earners exploring options to emigrate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025

Madees Khoury, the general manager of Taybeh Brewing Co., is one of those who choose to stay in town, though she knows at least one family gearing up to emigrate in the coming weeks.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

"The search for work, economic difficulties and poverty are the main reasons" for wanting to emigrate, with North America the "preferred destination", Afrobarometer said.

From Barron's • Oct. 11, 2025

Could not, even if he wanted to, emigrate.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

Related Words

• depart
• migrate
• quit