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verb

emigrate

EH-mihg-rayt

Emigrate (verb) means to leave one's own country in order to settle permanently in another. Example: “Her grandparents emigrated from Poland in the 1950s.”

verb
1
To leave one's own country in order to settle permanently in another.
"Her grandparents emigrated from Poland in the 1950s."
"Thousands emigrated during the economic crisis."

How to use emigrate

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo move away from your home country to live somewhere else permanently.

Common mistake

Emigrate is used with "from" your home country; immigrate is used with "to" the new country — they describe the same move from different viewpoints.

Easily confused with
Common pairings
emigrate from emigrate to another country

Word forms

emigrated past tense, emigrates singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Her grandparents _____ from Poland in the 1950s.

Etymology

From Latin emigratus, past participle of emigrare, "to move away," from ex- ("out of") plus migrare ("to move, depart").

Origin: Latin

Antonyms

Related words

Rhymes for emigrate

See all rhymes for emigrate →

Frequently asked questions

What does “emigrate” mean?

The word “emigrate” means to leave one's own country in order to settle permanently in another. In plain terms, to move away from your home country to live somewhere else permanently.

How do you pronounce “emigrate”?

“Emigrate” is pronounced EH-mihg-rayt (/ˈɛmɪɡɹeɪt/ in IPA).

How do you use “emigrate” in a sentence?

Here is “emigrate” used in a sentence: “Her grandparents emigrated from Poland in the 1950s.”

What is the opposite of “emigrate”?

The opposite of “emigrate” — its antonyms — is immigrate.

What part of speech is “emigrate”?

“Emigrate” is a verb.

Where does the word “emigrate” come from?

The word “emigrate” comes from Latin. From Latin emigratus, past participle of emigrare, "to move away," from ex- ("out of") plus migrare ("to move, depart").

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial