What does expatriating mean?
'Expatriating' is the present participle of the verb expatriate, meaning either to leave one's native country in order to live elsewhere or, less commonly today, to banish someone from their homeland. In contemporary English it usually carries the first sense, describing voluntary relocation abroad — often for work, lifestyle, or political reasons — and appears frequently in discussions of global careers, retirement overseas, and international taxation. Unlike its close counterpart 'repatriating', which refers to going back home, expatriating denotes departure from home, and the two words are sometimes confused despite pointing in opposite directions. The word derives from the Latin 'ex' (out) and 'patria' (fatherland), the same root underlying 'patriot'. Its tone is neutral to slightly formal, and the noun form 'expatriate' — often shortened informally to 'expat' — is far more common in everyday speech.
verbPresent participle and gerund of expatriate: to send someone into exile, or to leave one's native country to live abroad, especially voluntarily.
- To leave one's native country in order to live abroad, typically voluntarily.
- To banish or exile a person from their native country.
"After decades of expatriating in Europe, she finally returned to her hometown."
"Tired of the political climate, he spent years expatriating across Southeast Asia before settling in Portugal."
"The regime responded by expatriating several prominent dissidents."
The word 'expatriating' literally means 'out of the fatherland' — Latin 'ex' plus 'patria', the same root that gives us 'patriot'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of expatriating
The verb 'expatriate' entered English in the early 17th century, formed from Medieval Latin roots: 'ex-', meaning 'out of', and 'patria', meaning 'native land' or 'fatherland'. It originally carried a strong sense of banishment or self-imposed exile before softening to describe voluntary residence abroad. The same Latin root 'pater' (father) underlies related words such as 'patriot', 'compatriot', and 'patriotic', all of which concern one's relationship to a homeland.
Related word forms
How expatriating is actually used
In modern usage, 'expatriating' most often appears in formal or journalistic contexts describing voluntary relocation abroad; the involuntary sense of banishment is older and now relatively rare, with 'exiling' preferred. The gerund form is common in writing about tax, residency, and lifestyle topics.
Easily confused with expatriating
Repatriating means returning someone to their home country, whereas expatriating means leaving or being sent out of it.