emigration

noun

em·​i·​gra·​tion ˌe-mə-ˈgrā-shən How to pronounce emigration (audio)
plural emigrations
Synonyms of emigrationnext
: an act or instance of emigrating : departure from a place of abode, natural home, or country for life or residence elsewhere
… with the advent of steamships, by the 1880s intensive emigration had spread from every corner of the globe.—B. S. Rabinowitz
Further Chinese emigration to Taiwan was to be carefully limited.—Jonathan D. Spence

Examples of emigration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Advertisement Since 2023, Israel has seen record levels of emigration and growing international isolation. — Dahlia Scheindlin, Time, 7 Oct. 2026 Shortages of skilled labor are restraining production in defense firms and across the economy, compounded by the emigration of several hundred thousand mostly younger people due to fears of conscription and political repression. — ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026 The interlocking effects of mass emigration, rapid aging, and a growing generational divide pose enormous challenges for Cuba’s future. — Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026 The Chinese American star joined his parents and eight siblings on a harrowing emigration from South Vietnam to a Hong Kong refugee camp in 1978, three years after the Vietnam War ended. — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for emigration

Word History

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of emigration was in 1614

Rhymes for emigration

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Browse Nearby Words

emigrate
emigration
emigrational
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Cite this Entry

“Emigration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emigration. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Medical Definition

emigration

noun
em·​i·​gra·​tion ˌem-ə-ˈgrā-shən How to pronounce emigration (audio)
: diapedesis

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