emit

verb

ē-ˈmit 

emitted; emitting

transitive verb

1

a

: to throw or give off or out

emit light/heat

b

: to send out : eject

2

a

: to issue with authority

especially : to put (something, such as money) into circulation

b

obsolete : publish

3

: to give utterance or voice to

emitted a groan

emitter noun

Synonyms of emit

• radiate
• cast
• emanate
• release

Examples of emit in a Sentence

The telescope can detect light emitted by distant galaxies.

chimneys emitting thick, black smoke

The brakes emitted a loud squeal.

Recent Examples on the Web

To deliver enough for even a small building, a functional brewery would need to be constructed – without emitting a bunch of carbon dioxide or risking your microbes. — Mike McRae 16, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026

Without the big-picture implications, regional rivalries are more personal and emit a different type of energy — both positive and negative. — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Black holes whip hydrogen clouds around them at furious rates, with the clouds emitting slightly different colors depending on their speed. — Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026

Different chemical elements absorb and emit different wavelengths of light, marking that spectrum with different characteristic fingerprints. — Rahul Rao, Space.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin emittere to send out, from e- + mittere to send

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing emit

• re-emit

Rhymes for emit

• acquit
• admit
• armpit
• backlit
• befit
• cockpit
• commit
• dalit
• dendrite
• illite
• misfit
• moonlit

Kids Definition

emit

verb

ē-ˈmit 

emitted; emitting

1

a

: to throw or give off or out

emit light

b

: to send out : eject

2

: utter entry 2 sense 1

emit a groan

Etymology

from Latin emittere "to send out," from e-, ex- "out, forth" and mittere "to send, throw" — related to dismiss, message, missile, transmit