Word
emigration
Phoneticsem·i·gra·tion, stress on the third syllable
US/ˌɛməˈɡɹeɪʃən/
UK/ˌɛmɪɡɹˈeɪʃən/
Definitions
01leaving a country
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the act of leaving your home country to live in a new country forever.
n. the act of departing from one's country of residence with the intention of settling permanently elsewhere.
“Economic problems in the 19th century led to mass emigration from Ireland to America.”
“The government is concerned that the recent wave of emigration will lead to a significant shortage of skilled healthcare professionals.”
Usage
Usually followed by the preposition 'from' to indicate the point of origin.
Pitfall
The emigration to the UK was difficult.
The immigration to the UK was difficult.
Use 'emigration' when focusing on leaving a place (emigration from) and 'immigration' when focusing on arriving (immigration to).
Antonyms
02a group of emigrants
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. a large group of people who are all leaving their country at the same time.
n. a body of emigrants considered collectively. Often used in historical or sociological contexts.
“The local museum tracks the history of the Polish emigration in this city.”
“Sociologists studied the mid-century emigration to determine how these communities maintained their cultural identity in a foreign environment.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“The study found that emigration was not only higher in 2023 and 2024 than in previous years, but that those who had left were from higher tax brackets.” “International lawyers have warned that mass, forced or engineered emigration of this kind could amount to ethnic cleansing.” Etymology
From Late Latin stem of emigratio, from e (“out”) + migrare (“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
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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