Both words are about moving to live in another country. They describe the same trip from opposite ends.
- To emigrate is to leave your own country to live somewhere else.
- To immigrate is to arrive in a new country to live there.
Both come from Latin migrare, "to move" (it is also in migrate and migration). The prefix decides the direction.
Emigrate: ex- means out
Mia's grandparents emigrated from Poland many years ago.
Her family decided to emigrate from their home country.
Emigrate starts with E, as in Exit. You are the one exiting.
Immigrate: im- means in
They immigrated to Canada when Mia was small.
Many families immigrate to find new schools and jobs.
Immigrate starts with IM, as in IN. You are going into a place.
Easy way to tell them apart
Ask: Am I talking about leaving, or arriving?
- Leaving a country? Use emigrate (from).
- Arriving in a country? Use immigrate (to).
One person can do both. A family emigrates from Italy and immigrates to Australia. It is the same move, described from each end.
💡 The OddLingo Trick
E for Exit, I for In. Emigrate exits. Immigrate goes in.
⚠️ Common mistakes
From your country: emigrate.
❌ He immigrated from Spain.
✅ He emigrated from Spain.
To the new country: immigrate.
❌ She emigrated to Canada.
✅ She immigrated to Canada.
Words from the same family
- emigrant: a person who leaves.
- immigrant: a person who arrives.
- migrate: to move from one place to another, as birds do.
Where do they come from?
Emigrate comes from Latin emigrare ("move away"), made from ex- ("out") and migrare ("to move"). Immigrate comes from Latin immigrare ("go into"), made from in- ("into") and migrare. The prefix in- becomes im- before an M.