What does emitted mean?
Emitted is the past tense and past participle of the verb emit, meaning to give out, send forth, or discharge something from a source. Its most familiar uses are technical and scientific: a lamp emits light, a radioactive substance emits radiation, a factory or vehicle emits carbon dioxide, and a radio transmitter emits signals. The word also extends naturally to sounds — animals emit calls, machines emit hums — and, more figuratively, to intangible things: a person may be said to have emitted confidence, warmth, or unease. Derived from Latin emittere, meaning to send out, it carries a slightly formal, precise tone compared with looser alternatives like gave off or put out. Because of its centrality to discussions of pollution and climate science, where emissions of greenhouse gases are constantly measured and debated, emitted is one of those unassuming verbs whose importance has grown enormously in modern public discourse.
verbPast tense and past participle of "emit": to give out or discharge something such as light, heat, sound, gas, or radiation.
- To give out or discharge something physical — light, heat, sound, gas, radiation, or particles.
- (Figurative or extended use) To display or project a quality, impression, or feeling.
"The volcano emitted a thick plume of ash that drifted for miles."
"The detector registered the faint gamma rays emitted by the sample."
"She emitted an air of quiet confidence the moment she entered the room."
Every atom in your body right now is emitting infrared photons — you are literally glowing, just at wavelengths your eyes can't catch.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of emitted
Emitted comes from Latin emittere, formed from e- (out) plus mittere (to send), so its literal sense is "to send out." The word passed into English via the past participle emissus, with related forms such as emission and emissive sharing the same root; the root mittere also gives English words like mission and emissary. It has been used in English since at least the early modern period, initially in general and philosophical writing before becoming especially prominent in scientific and technical contexts.
Related word forms
How emitted is actually used
Register is neutral-to-technical: dominant in scientific, environmental, and engineering contexts (especially emissions of gases and radiation), but also common in everyday description of sounds and figurative projection of qualities.
Easily confused with emitted
"Emitted" means given out or discharged, while "omitted" means left out or excluded.