Word
emigrant
Phoneticsem·i·grant, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɛməɡɹənt/
UK/ˈɛmɪɡɹənt/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a person who leaves their own country to live in another country for a long time. You use it when you talk about leaving, not arriving.
n. a person who departs from their country of origin to settle permanently or long-term in another country. Often contrasted with immigrant, which frames the same movement from the perspective of arrival.
Examples
“The emigrant writes home to his family every month.”
“As an emigrant, she keeps close ties to her hometown while building a new life abroad.”
“The aging emigrant returned after decades abroad to find his childhood village transformed beyond recognition by roads and tourism.”
Examples
simple
“The emigrant writes home to his family every month.”
contextual
“As an emigrant, she keeps close ties to her hometown while building a new life abroad.”
complex
“The aging emigrant returned after decades abroad to find his childhood village transformed beyond recognition by roads and tourism.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “emigrant” in context.
Verb
01. assist emigrant
“The charity was set up to assist emigrants with housing and official forms.”
verb + noun
02. emigrant arrives
“When the emigrant arrives, she must register with the local authorities.”
noun + verb
03. emigrant leaves
“The emigrant leaves home with little money but great hope for the future.”
noun + verb
04. emigrant returns
“After twenty years abroad, the emigrant returns to visit his home village.”
noun + verb
05. emigrant settles
“Once the emigrant settles abroad, he often sends money back home.”
noun + verb
Adjective
06. economic emigrant
“As an economic emigrant, she left home to find better-paid work abroad.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. child of emigrants
“As a child of emigrants, she grew up speaking two languages at home.”
noun + prep + noun
08. flow of emigrants
“The government tried to control the steady flow of emigrants.”
noun + prep + noun
09. generation of emigrants
“An entire generation of emigrants grew up between two cultures.”
noun + prep + noun
10. a wave of emigrants
“A wave of emigrants left southern Italy in search of work in America.”
11. descendant of irish emigrants
“He is a proud descendant of Irish emigrants who settled in Boston.”
12. help emigrants settle abroad
“The agency helps emigrants settle abroad by finding housing and jobs.”
Usage
Typically followed by 'from' for the country left; 'immigrant to' describes arrival in the new country.
Pitfall
She is an emigrant to Canada
She is an immigrant to Canada
Use emigrant for leaving a country and immigrant for entering and living in a new one.
Real-World Examples
“Over time, Pajenga said that many of these emigrants forgot their grandmothers' recipes as they adapted to new countries and cultures.” “Like millions of other Venezuelan emigrants, she does not have a valid Venezuelan passport, the result of the government’s longstanding discrimination against opposition-leaning citizens.” Etymology
From Classical Latin ēmigrāns, present participle of ēmigrāre (“to emigrate”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/emigrant