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

For example, before earning his UMbusiness degree in 2006, Kapoor used a PowerPoint presentation to convince his father, an attorney who emigrated from India to the United States, to buy him a Range Rover. —Sarah Blaskey, Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 2025

Ahmad brought his eight-year-old daughter and his father, who emigrated from India in 1978, and planned to pitch Mamdani on the idea of a Doha-New York biotech corridor. —Eric Lach, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025

The recipes are among those that guests can taste at either Pelato or its sister store, Luogo, and are heartfelt tributes to the dishes that have defined generations of the Scotto family since their ancestors emigrated from Italy to New York in 1905, family members say. —Gabrielle Chenault, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Dec. 2025

The language document also included a footnote that parents and health care providers should consider whether the newborn faces risks, such as a hepatitis B-positive household member or frequent contact with people who have emigrated from areas where hepatitis B is common. —ABC News, 5 Dec. 2025

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