emanate

verb

em·​a·​nate ˈe-mə-ˌnāt 

emanated; emanating

intransitive verb

: to come out from a source

a sweet scent emanating from the blossoms

transitive verb

: emit

she seems to emanate an air of serenity

Synonyms of emanate

• radiate
• emit
• cast

Choose the Right Synonym for emanate

spring, arise, rise, originate, derive, flow, issue, emanate, proceed, stem mean to come up or out of something into existence.

spring implies rapid or sudden emerging.

an idea that springs to mind

arise and rise may both convey the fact of coming into existence or notice but rise often stresses gradual growth or ascent.

new questions have arisen

slowly rose to prominence

originate implies a definite source or starting point.

the fire originated in the basement

derive implies a prior existence in another form.

the holiday derives from an ancient Roman feast

flow adds to spring a suggestion of abundance or ease of inception.

words flowed easily from her pen

issue suggests emerging from confinement through an outlet.

blood issued from the cut

emanate applies to the coming of something immaterial (such as a thought) from a source.

reports emanating from the capital

proceed stresses place of origin, derivation, parentage, or logical cause.

advice that proceeds from the best of intentions

stem implies originating by dividing or branching off from something as an outgrowth or subordinate development.

industries stemming from space research

Examples of emanate in a Sentence

Good smells emanated from the kitchen.

Constant criticism has emanated from her opponents.

Happiness seems to emanate from her.

She seems to emanate happiness.

Recent Examples on the Web

The actor will shout out a number and then — in an impressive display of audience amplification by sound designer Tom Gibbons — a reply emanates back from somewhere in the theater. —Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026

The car was eventually transferred to a tow yard, where an employee called police after noticing a foul smell emanating from the vehicle. —Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026

The authors of the latest paper also determined that the methanol was emanating from both the comet’s core and coma, yet another intriguing piece of the interstellar puzzle. —Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 11 Mar. 2026

With her hair cropped into a sleek, chocolate-brown bob with a side-part, Zendaya's look emanated French-girl chic, a pop of red on the lip providing the only real color and a pair of simple diamond hoops offering a rare glimpse of glitz. —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin emanatus, past participle of emanare, from e- + manare to flow

First Known Use

1756, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for emanate

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

Kids Definition

emanate

verb

em·​a·​nate ˈem-ə-ˌnāt 

emanated; emanating

1

: to come out from a source

a scent emanating from the flowers

2

: emit sense 1a, give out

seems to emanate confidence

emanation

ˌem-ə-ˈnā-shən

noun

emanational

-shnəl, 

-shən-ᵊl

adjective

emanative

ˈem-ə-ˌnāt-iv

adjective

Medical Definition

emanate

verb

em·​a·​nate ˈem-ə-ˌnāt 

emanated; emanating

intransitive verb

: to come out from a source

transitive verb

: to give out or emit