MEANING
1. To come or flow out from an identifiable source, physically or in an abstract sense.
2. To give out a quality, feeling, odor, or similar presence that others can perceive.
Use it for
locating the source of a sound or smell; showing an influence spreading from somewhere; tracing an idea or decision to its origin; giving an unseen presence a perceptible sourceDistinguishes an effect proceeding from its source from a person visibly or perceptibly giving out a quality. Writing functions: Atmosphere / Felt presence.
Words that belong together
- emanate from a room
- a sound emanating from
- ideas emanating from
On the page
A faint metallic smell emanated from the sealed compartment.
The order appeared to emanate from an office no one could locate on the plan.
She emanated calm even while her hands worked urgently beneath the table.
The old caretaker emanated a warmth that made the room seem less forbidding.
Word forms
- Base
- emanate
- Past tense
- emanated
- Past participle
- emanated
- Present participle
- emanating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- emanate
- Present continuous
- am/is/are emanating
- Present perfect
- have/has emanated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been emanating
- Past
- emanated
- Past continuous
- was/were emanating
- Past perfect
- had emanated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been emanating
- Future
- will emanate
- Future continuous
- will be emanating
- Future perfect
- will have emanated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been emanating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Verb: emanate; emanates; emanated; emanated; emanating. Future: will emanate. Intransitive: emanate from a source. Transitive: a person or thing emanates a quality, smell, or similar output. Register: formal. Commonness: moderately common (qualitative editorial estimate, informed by dictionaries/corpus).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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