Emit Definition & Meaning

American

British

Usage

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms emit American [ih-mit] / ɪˈmɪt /

verb (used with object)

emitted, emitting

1. to send forth (liquid, light, heat, sound, particles, etc.); discharge.

2. to give forth or release (a sound).

   He emitted one shrill cry and then was silent.

3. to utter or voice, as opinions.

4. to issue, as an order or a decree.

5. to issue formally for circulation, as paper money.

emit British / ɪˈmɪt /

verb

1. to give or send forth; discharge

   the pipe emitted a stream of water

2. to give voice to; utter

   she emitted a shrill scream

3. physics to give off (radiation or particles)

4. to put (currency) into circulation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does emit mean? Emit means to release or discharge something, such as gas, liquid, heat, sound, light, or radiation.The process of emitting is called emission. Emission can also refer to something that has been emitted. A specific example of an emission is the exhaust emitted from cars (in the U.S., such emissions are regulated through emissions tests). This exhaust is just one form of carbon emissions—greenhouse gases emitted from various sources that are known to contribute to global warming and climate change.In things like TVs and light bulbs, the term LED stands for “light-emitting diode,” a semiconductor device that emits light when conducting current.Emit usually implies that things are being released in a passive way, but some senses of the word are more active.Emit sometimes specifically means to give off or make a sound, as in My cat emitted the worst sound when I accidentally stepped on his tail. It can also be used in a somewhat figurative way meaning to say or voice, as in She certainly emitted her opinion. Example: Collectively, volcanoes emit carbon dioxide at far lower levels than cars and airplanes.

Other Word Forms

• reemit verb (used with object)
• self-emitted adjective
• unemitted adjective
• unemitting adjective

Etymology

Origin of emit

First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin ēmittere “to send forth,” from ē- e- 1 + mittere “to let go, send”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

These proposals suggest a legally binding limit - a carbon budget - for greenhouse gases emitted in the UK for the period 2038-2042.

From BBC

While some sunbeds may technically emit UVB rays, which the body can convert into vitamin D, the WHO says they are not an efficient way to make the nutrient.

From BBC

When electrons absorb a photon and are emitted from a material, they carry information encoded in their spin.

From Science Daily

GE Vernova is also investing an “immense amount” of capital into decarbonizing gas by capturing carbon emitted from gas production and injecting it back into cavities in the ground, Strazik said.

From Barron's

This research is part of a larger effort to develop terahertz light sources that do more than emit pulses, with an emphasis on shaping those pulses for practical use.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• beam
• belch
• breathe
• emanate
• exhale
• expend
• exude
• give off
• ooze
• pour
• radiate
• secrete
• spew
• spill
• spit
• transmit
• utter
• vent

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.