emission

noun

emis·​sion ē-ˈmi-shən 

1

a

: an act or instance of emitting : emanation

b

archaic : publication

c

: a putting into circulation

2

a

: something sent forth by emitting: such as

(1)

: electromagnetic radiation from an antenna or a celestial body

(2)

usually emissions : substances discharged into the air (as by a smokestack or an automobile engine)

b

: effluvium

emissive

ē-ˈmi-siv 

adjective

Examples of emission in a Sentence

trying to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases

Recent Examples on the Web

Viking also equipped 12 of its ships with shoreside power capabilities to reduce port emissions. —Martie Bowser, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

Increasingly, California has become a global leader in reducing the carbon emissions that fuel climate change, and zero-emission vehicles are a key part of those climate policies. —Camila Domonoske, NPR, 1 May 2025

Understanding how our forests respond to the increases in greenhouse gas emissions and threats to their existence, such as deforestation and wildfires, is challenging because of the dense vegetation and hard-to-penetrate canopies. —Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2025

Still, the study found that utilizing a geothermal system or a combination of all-electric boilers and heat pumps could reduce emissions by an additional 80% or more. —John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing emission

• acoustic emission
• positron-emission tomography
• re-emission
• secondary emission

Rhymes for emission

• addition
• admission
• ambition
• attrition
• audition
• clinician
• cognition
• coition
• commission
• condition
• contrition
• dentition

Kids Definition

emission

noun

emis·​sion ē-ˈmish-ən 

1

: an act or instance of emitting

2

: something emitted or discharged

emissive

ē-ˈmis-iv 

adjective

Medical Definition

emission

noun

emis·​sion ē-ˈmish-ən 

1

: an act or instance of emitting

2

a

: something sent forth by emitting: as

(1)

: electrons discharged from a surface

(2)

: electromagnetic waves radiated by an antenna or a celestial body

(3)

: substances and especially pollutants discharged into the air (as by a smokestack or an automobile gasoline engine)

b

: a discharge of fluid from a living body

especially : ejaculate see nocturnal emission