emigrate
EM-i-grayt
/ˈemɪɡreɪt/
To leave one's own country in order to settle permanently in another.
Emigrate focuses on the point of departure. You emigrate from your home country.
The story behind the word. The Latin verb 'emigrare' combines 'ex-' (out) and 'migrare' (to move). It captures the precise moment of packing up one's life, turning one's back on the familiar, and stepping out across the border.
Word relationships
- depart: Depart is a general term for leaving any place temporarily or permanently, while emigrate specifically means leaving one's native country to settle elsewhere.
- migrate: Migrate is a neutral, broad term for moving from one region to another (including animals), while emigrate is specific to humans leaving their homeland.
- immigrate: Immigrate means to come into a foreign country to live, focusing on the destination rather than the departure.
Commonly confused with
- immigrate: Remember: Emigrate = Exit (leave); Immigrate = Incoming (arrive).
Word family
- emigration (noun): The act of leaving one's own country to settle permanently in another.
- emigrant (noun): A person who leaves their own country in order to settle permanently in another.
Collocations
- emigrate from
- decide to emigrate
- emigrate to
- forced to emigrate
Example sentences
- "My grandparents decided to emigrate from Italy in the 1920s to escape economic hardship and find better opportunities." A family history narrative.
- "When a country's economy collapses, highly skilled professionals are often the first to emigrate, causing a severe brain drain." Analyzing demographic shifts.
Memory hook
E-migrate starts with 'E' for Exit. Exiting your home country.
When not to use
Do not use when describing the act of arriving in a new country (use 'immigrate' instead).
Fun facts
- During the Irish Potato Famine in the mid-19th century, so many people chose to emigrate that Ireland's population fell by over 20%.
Related words
Also appears in
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