Emigrate or Immigrate?

What Is the Difference between "Emigrate" and "Immigrate"?

"Emigrate" and "immigrate" are easy to confuse because they both relate to moving from one country to another.
  • Emigrate. "Emigrate" means to leave one country and settle in another. "Emigrate" focuses on the point of departure. For example:
    • When I was five, my family emigrated from Bangladesh to America. correct tick
  • Immigrate. "Immigrate" means to enter a new country with the purpose of staying there. "Immigrate" focuses on the point of arrival. For example:
    • When I was five, my family immigrated to America from Bangladesh. correct tick
emigrate or immigrate?

More about "Emigrate" and "Immigrate"

"Emigrate" and "Immigrate" are similar in meaning, but there is a difference. "Emigrate" focuses on the point of departure, while "immigrate" focuses on the point of arrival. For example:
  • I emigrated to England in the 1990s.
  • ("I left my homeland in the 1990s.")
  • I immigrated to England in the 1990s.
  • ("I've been living in England since the 1990s.")

A Video Summary

Here is a short video summarizing the difference between emigrate and immigrate: video lesson

Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos.

Emigrate

The verb "to emigrate" focuses on "leaving" your home country to move permanently to another.

Example sentences with "emigrate":
  • People say there's no quality of life in Russia, and everyone wants to emigrate. correct tick
  • Very few inhabitants emigrate from this province, where the birth-rate considerably exceeds the death-rate. correct tick
  • It is foolish to claim, as some do, that emigration into space offers a long-term escape from Earth's problems. Nowhere in our solar system offers an environment even as clement as the Antarctic or the top of Everest. correct tick (Cosmologist Martin Rees)
  • ("Emigration" is the noun from the verb "to emigrate.")

Immigrate

The verb "to immigrate" means to move to a new country with the purpose of settling there. "Immigrate" focuses on "entering" the new country.

Example sentences with "immigrate":
  • New Zealanders who immigrate to Australia raise the IQ of both countries. correct tick (New Zealand Prime Minister Robert Muldoon)
  • Immigration is one of the leading contributors to population growth. correct tick (Conservationist Paul Watson)
  • ("Immigration" is the noun from the verb "to immigrate.")

Top Tip

How To Remember "Emigrate" and "Immigrate"

  • With "emigrate," think "exit" or "export."
  • With "immigrate," think "in" or "import."

Emigrate and Immigrate Are Often Interchangeable

The words "emigrate" and "immigrate" are often interchangeable. For example:
  • Sarah emigrated to England from Australia.
  • (This focuses on Sarah leaving Australia.)
  • Sarah immigrated to England from Australia.
  • (This focuses on Sarah arriving in England and, without further context, suggests the speaker is located in England.)
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This page was written by Craig Shrives.