expatriation

¹

1. Voluntary departure from the nation of one's birth for permanent or prolonged residence in another nation.

expatriation

²

1. Voluntarily leaving the nation of one's birth for permanent or prolonged residence in another country.

Example Sentences

His followers have at least four solid options for expatriation if President Biden wins reelection.

From Los Angeles Times

District Court in Brooklyn, New York, is the latest case by the Justice Department targeting China's apparent expatriation campaign, known as "Operation Fox Hunt."

From Reuters

So does Packer’s claim that “a lot of Americans have explored their options for expatriation.”

From New York Times

For everyone else, the exit is calculated on a person’s assets, as if they were sold on the day of expatriation.

From New York Times

This expatriation is the big adventure of their lives.

From The Guardian

More About Expatriation

What does expatriation mean?

Expatriation is the voluntary departure from one’s native country to another country to live there permanently or for an extended period of time.

A person who does this can be called an expatriate. So expatriation is the act or process of becoming an expatriate.

The word expatriate can refer to people who have been forced to live in another country (such as due to having been exiled or banished), but it most commonly refers to people who have chosen to relocate to work in the new country or to retire there. Expatriation may or may not involve becoming a citizen of the country a person moves to, and it may or may not involve retaining their original citizenship.

If the word expatriation sounds like it has just about the same meaning as the word immigration, that’s because it does. But expatriation is used much more narrowly. It can imply (or is at least associated with) a certain amount of wealth and privilege—things not implied by or associated with the word immigration. The word expatriate is especially applied to Westerners and used by them to refer to themselves. A common and informal short form is expat.

Expatriate can also be used as a verb meaning to withdraw one’s residence in or allegiance to their native country, or to banish a citizen. Expatriation can also refer to these processes.

Example: The process of expatriation is long and expensive, but many expatriates feel it’s worth it to live where they want.

Where does expatriation come from?

The first records of the word expatriation come from the 1800s. It ultimately comes from the Latin expatriāre, meaning “to banish,” from ex-, “out of,” and patria, “native land.”

People referred to as expatriates may be in exile, but the word more commonly refers to those who have relocated for voluntary reasons, such as to work in the country or because they simply enjoy what it’s like to live there. This is what expatriation usually refers to. It often involves a complicated legal process.

The related word repatriation refers to the process of bringing or sending a person back to the country where they have citizenship.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to expatriation?

• expatriate (verb, noun, adjective)

What are some words that share a root or word element with expatriation? 

• expat
• repatriation
• patriate
• patriot

What are some words that often get used in discussing expatriation?

• process
• immigrate
• move
• native
• country
• citizenship
• abroad

How is expatriation used in real life?

The word expatriation is often used in discussion of the legal process of moving abroad, especially by Westerners relocating for work.

I’m goiny to use my writing income to fund my expatriation. I have no reason to stay in this country anymore. Speaking it into existence.

— Millie Belizaire (@MillieBelizaire) July 16, 2020

Absolutely, if I can. If I'm able to maintain my lifestyle, they should be paid in 5 years. But who the hell knows what can happen tomorrow? Paying them down gives me more options in the future — expatriation, marriage, home buying, and taking credit risks w/ passion projects. https://t.co/V3oikRRBgL

— Charles Preston (@_CharlesPreston) August 15, 2020

And finally, to sign off for the day, @jodietrembath presented on the invisible work of #academics living abroad, and asked why the onus is on individual academics to ‘be resilient’ upon expatriation, given the increasing need for academics to have to expatriate for work? #LAEMOS pic.twitter.com/toT90Rjl6O

— The Familiar Strange (@TFSTweets) March 23, 2018

 

 

Try using expatriation!

True or False? 

Expatriation always involves a person renouncing their citizenship in their native country.