Meaning and usage guide
emigrate vs immigrate
Meaning, usage, pronunciation, and examples
Emigrate describes leaving a country to live elsewhere. Immigrate describes entering a new country to live there. The same move can be described both ways.
Reference accent
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How to choose
Follow the direction of the move
Both verbs can describe one person on one journey; the preposition reveals which side of the journey matters.
Leaving: emigrate from
Use emigrate when the sentence focuses on the country of departure.
Her grandparents emigrated from Poland.
Arriving: immigrate to
Use immigrate when the sentence focuses on settling in the destination.
Her grandparents immigrated to Canada.
Direct answer
What is the difference?
The choice depends on viewpoint: a person emigrates from the country they leave and immigrates to the country they enter. Migration is the broader movement. In ordinary use, emigrate often appears with from, while immigrate appears with to or into.
American English
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Word 1
emigrate
verb
To leave one’s country in order to settle in another.
US pronunciation
/ˈɛmɪɡreɪt/
UK IPA
/ˈemɪɡreɪt/
Hear three samples
How to pronounce it
Stress EM with the vowel in “bed,” then keep the middle syllable short before “grayt.”
Word 2
immigrate
verb
To enter and settle permanently in a country other than one’s own.
US pronunciation
/ˈɪmɪɡreɪt/
UK IPA
/ˈɪmɪɡreɪt/
Hear three samples
How to pronounce it
Stress IM with the short vowel in “sit.” The rest sounds like emigrate, so make the first vowel clear.
Listen in context
6 example sentences
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Examples with
emigrate
- The family decided to emigrate from Ireland.
- Many workers emigrated in search of new opportunities.
- She plans to emigrate after finishing university.
Examples with
immigrate
- Her parents immigrated to the United States in 1998.
- They hope to immigrate after receiving their visas.
- People immigrate for many different reasons.
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