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

Some argued without evidence that Indian Americans were committing visa fraud, echoing recent charges from Texas Republicans, and stealing jobs from Americans whose ancestors emigrated longer ago. —Sarah Bahari, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026

Ireland, the Steelers and the Rooney connection The Rooney family, the Steelers’ majority owners, trace their roots to Ireland, where their ancestors emigrated from in the 1840s before eventually settling in Pittsburgh. —Tom Chitty, CNBC, 15 Feb. 2026

Her grandparents, Edward and Sallie Bryant, emigrated from Kentucky in 1880 along with tens of thousands of other Exoduster families fleeing the racial violence and economic exploitation of the post-Civil War South. —Elijah Winkler, Kansas City Star, 10 Feb. 2026

His family emigrated to escape the proxy Cold War conflicts that ravaged the nation from 1978 to 1990. —Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 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
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

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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