Word
emigrate
Phoneticsem·i·grate, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɛməˌɡɹeɪt/
UK/ˈɛmɪɡɹˌeɪt/
Definition
v. to leave your own country to live in another one. You usually do this for a long time or for good.
v. to leave one's own country to settle permanently in another. Transitive when used with a destination; intransitive when the destination is implied or not specified.
Examples
“Many people emigrate to find better jobs.”
“After finishing his degree, he decided to emigrate to Canada to start a new life.”
“The historical records show that thousands of families emigrated during the nineteenth century, driven by economic hardship and the promise of fertile land in the west.”
Examples
simple
“Many people emigrate to find better jobs.”
contextual
“After finishing his degree, he decided to emigrate to Canada to start a new life.”
complex
“The historical records show that thousands of families emigrated during the nineteenth century, driven by economic hardship and the promise of fertile land in the west.”
Confusables
Emigrate is the act of leaving a country; immigrate is the act of entering a new one.
RememberEmigrate = Exit. Immigrate = In.
Real-World Examples
“The main character is Kathleen, an Anglicised Australian actor whose father had emigrated from Slovenia.” “He visited the Americas for the first time on assignment in 1933 and emigrated to the United States with his wife and child later that year.” “For instance, I discovered that my grandfather emigrated from England and arrived in Rawlins, Wyoming in 1896 at the age of 17.” Etymology
From Latin emigratus, perfect passive participle of emigro (“to move away, remove, depart from a place”), from ex- (“out of, from”) + migro (“to move, remove, depart”).
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/emigrate