emanation

e·ma·na·tion
E1M3A1N1A1T1I1O1N1
/ˌɛməˈneɪʃən/

noun

The act of flowing or proceeding (of something, quality, or feeling) from a source or origin.

“Perfume is an emanation from a flower.”

UncommonScrabble 11

Meanings

nounemanation (countable and uncountable, plural emanations)

plural emanations

  1. countableuncountableThe act of flowing or proceeding (of something, quality, or feeling) from a source or origin.
  2. countableuncountableThat which issues, flows, or proceeds from any object as a source; efflux; an effluence.

    Perfume is an emanation from a flower.

    2 more examples

    Her love for Francis Evelyn was an emanation of that romance which is in the heart of every girl; her preference was as much circumstance as choice, and strengthened by no comparison.

    1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 90

    Hence, not only men, but all animals, and even vegetables, were supposed to be impregnated with some particle of the divine nature which was infused into them, and from which their various qualities and dispositions, as well as their powers of propagation, were thought to be derived. These appeared to be so many emanations of the divine attributes, operating in different modes and degrees, according to the nature of the beings to which they belonged.

    1941, George Ryley Scott, Phallic Worship: A History of Sex and Sex Rites in Relation to the Religions of All Races from Antiquity to the Present Day, London: T. Werner Laurie, page 25
  3. obsoleteuncountable(physics, chemistry) The element radon (Rn)
  4. countableuncountablelifestyleThe generation of the Son and the procession of the Holy Spirit, as distinct from the origination of created beings.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe act of emitting; causing to flow forth

Similar

noun(theology) the origination of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰ
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰs
  3. Proto-Italic*eks
  4. Latinex
  5. Latinē
  6. Proto-Indo-European*meh₂-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*meh₂no-
  8. Proto-Italic*māno-
  9. Latinmānō
  10. Latinmānāre
  11. Latinēmānāre
  12. Englishemanate
  13. Englishemanation

From emanate + -ion.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian излъчване, еманация
  • излъчване (izlăčvane)act of flowing
  • еманация (emanacija)that which flows
French émanation, émanation
  • émanationact of flowing
  • émanationthat which flows
  • émanationradon — see also radon
  • radonradon — see also radon
German Ausströmen, Emanation
  • Ausströmenact of flowing
  • Emanationact of flowing
  • Emanationthat which flows
  • Ausströmungthat which flows
  • Ausstrahlungthat which flows
  • Ausdünstungthat which flows
  • Aussendungthat which flows
Hindi प्रसर्जन, निःसरण
  • प्रसर्जन (prasarjan)act of flowing
  • निःसरण (niḥsaraṇ)act of flowing
  • प्रसर्ग (prasarg)act of flowing
Italian emanazione, emanazione
  • emanazioneact of flowing
  • emanazionethat which flows
Polish emanacja, emanacja
  • emanacjaact of flowing
  • emanacjathat which flows
  • emanacjaradon — see also radon
Spanish emanación, emanación
  • emanaciónact of flowing
  • emanaciónthat which flows

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with emanation

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

emanation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emanation

MLA

“emanation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emanation. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “emanation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emanation.

Source: emanation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.