Although very closely related, these three words have subtly different meanings which you should be aware of if you intend to use them in your writing. All three of the words ‘immigration’, ‘emigration’ and ‘migration’ are used to describe the movement of people (and sometimes animals) from one country to another.
Which word to use depends on whether one is arriving, departing or on the move. Learn more about their definitions and usage below.
Immigration
Immigration is the act of entering into or arriving at a new country of residence. It would be used in a sentence like this:
‘Jesse’s distant ancestors immigrated to America in 1621’.
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one’s country of origin and moving to a new country. Emigration, like immigration, is usually a permanent, rather than a temporary, move.
‘Jesse’s distant ancestors emigrated from England aboard the Mayflower in 1620’.
Don’t forget that ‘immigration’ is spelled with two ‘m’s whilst emigration only has one!
Migration
Migration is the movement of people across the globe from one location or country to another. These people can be either in the process of leaving or arriving.
The term ‘migration’ is also often used to describe the movement of animals, usually from a cold location to a warmer one during the winter months. It would be used in a sentence like this:
‘American buffalo migrate large distances during the summer months, looking for fresh pasture and water’.
The same journey can be described using all three words, dependent upon the point of view of whether one is departing, travelling or arriving. To continue the example given above, we could say that Jesse’s ancestors emigrated from England, migrated aboard the Mayflower and immigrated to America.
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Which word to use depends on whether one is arriving, departing or on the move. Learn more about their definitions and usage below.
Immigration
Immigration is the act of entering into or arriving at a new country of residence. It would be used in a sentence like this:
‘Jesse’s distant ancestors immigrated to America in 1621’.
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one’s country of origin and moving to a new country. Emigration, like immigration, is usually a permanent, rather than a temporary, move.
‘Jesse’s distant ancestors emigrated from England aboard the Mayflower in 1620’.
Don’t forget that ‘immigration’ is spelled with two ‘m’s whilst emigration only has one!
Migration
Migration is the movement of people across the globe from one location or country to another. These people can be either in the process of leaving or arriving.
The term ‘migration’ is also often used to describe the movement of animals, usually from a cold location to a warmer one during the winter months. It would be used in a sentence like this:
‘American buffalo migrate large distances during the summer months, looking for fresh pasture and water’.
The same journey can be described using all three words, dependent upon the point of view of whether one is departing, travelling or arriving. To continue the example given above, we could say that Jesse’s ancestors emigrated from England, migrated aboard the Mayflower and immigrated to America.
If you would like some more guidance and advice about academic writing, the professionals at Proofread My Paper can help you today!