emitir

Emitir is a verb used in Spanish and Portuguese with several related senses centered on sending forth or making something available. The core meanings include to emit or discharge (light, heat, gas, pheromones, signals), to broadcast or transmit (a program, a signal, data), and to issue or publish (documents, securities, orders). The precise sense depends on context, but all reflect a transfer from a source to an external recipient or field.

Etymology and cognates

Emitir comes from the Latin emittere, formed by ex- ‘out’ and mittere ‘to send’. Related words in both languages include emission (the act or process of emitting) and emisor or emisor, referring to the sender or source of a transmission or issue.

Usage

In everyday language, emitir covers physical emission (emitting light or radiation), broadcasting (emitir un programa, emitir un programa), and issuing or distributing something official (emitir acciones/valores; emitir una orden). In science and technology, it is used for processes that produce signals or particles, such as emitting photons or electrons. In finance, to emitir securities means to issue shares, bonds, or other instruments to the market.

Conjugation (present indicative)

Portuguese: eu emito, tu emites, você/ele/ela emite, nós emitimos, vocês/eles emitem.

Spanish: yo emito, tú emites, él/ella emite, nosotros emitimos, ustedes emiten.

Note that, beyond these core uses, emitir forms part of common collocations in law, media, finance, and science, with nuances depending on regional usage within the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking worlds.