emigrate

verb

em·​i·​grate ˈe-mə-ˌgrāt 

emigrated; emigrating

intransitive verb

: to leave one's place of residence or country to live elsewhere

emigrated from Canada to the United States

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an emigrant and an immigrant?

Immigrant and emigrant both refer to a person leaving their own country for another. However, immigrant (and its verb form immigrate) typically stresses the country someone is going to, while emigrant (and its verb emigrate) stresses the country someone is coming from. One is an immigrant to a new country, and an emigrant from an old one. See here for more on the difference between emigrant and immigrant.

Is emigrant a noun or a verb?

Emigrant is a noun, meaning "one who leaves one's place of residence or country to live elsewhere." It is synonymous with émigré, a word that is especially used of a person who has left for political reasons. The verb form of the word is emigrate.

Does emigrant imply illegality?

Both emigrant and immigrant refer to a person who has moved from one country to another, usually in permanent or semi-permanent fashion. Neither word by itself has any connotations of illegality.

Examples of emigrate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Though her work has kept her moving, the New York native has long considered Greece, the country from which her mother's family emigrated to Manhattan, like a second home. — Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026

Barai, who emigrated to Illinois from India to study medicine 51 years ago, compared the relationship to first-generation immigrants’ experiences caring for family in both the homeland and their new country. — Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026

The book follows the intertwining stories of two families, the Hamiltons (who emigrate from Ireland to Steinbeck’s beloved Salinas Valley) and the Trasks (who move to California from the East Coast), over the course of several generations. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 18 Aug. 2026

Born in Kosovo, Morina emigrated with his family to Germany in the 1990s, before the war that would ultimately lead to the country’s independence. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 16 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin emigratus, past participle of emigrare, from e- + migrare to migrate

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for emigrate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

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Kids Definition

emigrate

verb

em·​i·​grate ˈem-ə-ˌgrāt 

emigrated; emigrating

: to leave a country or region to live elsewhere

emigration

ˌem-ə-ˈgrā-shən 

noun