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emanate

/ˌɛməˈneɪt/
/ˈɛməneɪt/
IPA guide

Other forms: emanating; emanated; emanates

Emanate means to give off, like the sound of laughter that emanates from your sister's room during her slumber party. If spooky sounds emanate from the closet, don’t open the door!

The word emanate comes from the Latin emanare, which means “to flow out.” Things that emanate come from somewhere. Heat emanates from a fire, and smoke emanates from a chimney. This word can also be used figuratively: for example, you might say that your upbeat and optimistic best friend emanates positivity.

Definitions of emanate
  1. verb
    give out (breath or an odor)
    synonyms: exhale, give forth
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    type of:
    breathe, emit, pass off
    expel (gases or odors)
  2. verb
    proceed or issue forth, as from a source
    “Water emanates from this hole in the ground”
    see moresee less
    types:
    effuse, flow out
    flow or spill forth
    type of:
    come, come up
    move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘emanate'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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