What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
immigration
Example
My grandparents came to the United States through immigration. [immigration: noun]
Example
She is currently going through the immigration process to move to Canada. [immigration: noun]
emigration
Example
Many Irish people emigrated to the United States during the potato famine. [emigrated: past tense verb]
Example
He decided to emigrate from his home country to start a new life in Australia. [emigrate: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Immigration is more commonly used than emigration in everyday language, as it is often discussed in the context of receiving countries. However, both words are important to understand in the context of global migration patterns.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between immigration and emigration?
Both immigration and emigration are formal terms used in legal and political contexts. However, immigration may be more commonly used in everyday language and media, while emigration may be more commonly used in academic or research contexts.
