emigrate
Definitions
To leave one's own country in order to settle permanently in another
移居国外；移民出境
Root Breakdown
Root-derivede- (a reduced form of ex-, 'out', used before m) + migr (move) + -ate (verb) = to move out of your country. The focus is leaving, so you emigrate FROM somewhere. It is the exact mirror of immigrate (im- = in): same journey, opposite doorway.
Root migr still carries 14 more wordsWhy It Means This
emigrate and immigrate describe one and the same physical move, but they freeze the camera at opposite ends. e- (ex-, out) keeps your eye on the country being left; im- (in) keeps it on the country being entered. So an Irishman sailing to America in 1850 emigrated from Ireland and immigrated to America in the very same voyage. Learners mix them up because Chinese '移民' covers both — but English forces you to choose a direction.
Usage Guide
Pair it with a preposition to keep the direction straight: emigrate FROM (leave) vs immigrate TO (arrive). Both can appear in one sentence: 'She emigrated from Vietnam and immigrated to France.' If you can't decide which verb to use, ask which country you're standing in.
Example Sentences
- 1.
Millions of Europeans emigrated to America in the nineteenth century.
- 2.
They decided to emigrate from their homeland in search of safety.
- 3.
She emigrated when she was just nineteen and never returned.
Easily Confused
emigrate vs immigrate: emigrate = go OUT (e- like Exit), takes 'from'; immigrate = come IN (im- like In), takes 'to'. The whole difference is the prefix vowel and the preposition.