segregation
noun
seg·re·ga·tion
ˌse-gri-ˈgā-shən 
1
: the act or process of segregating : the state of being segregated
2
a
: the separation or isolation of a race, class, or ethnic group by enforced or voluntary residence in a restricted area, by barriers to social intercourse, by separate educational facilities, or by other discriminatory means
b
: the separation for special treatment or observation of individuals or items from a larger group
segregation of gifted children into accelerated classes
3
: the separation of allelic genes that occurs typically during meiosis
Synonyms
Examples of segregation in a Sentence
They fought to end the segregation of public schools.
the segregation of men and women
Recent Examples on the Web
After he was elected, though, Carter declared that the era of segregation in Georgia was over, and he was hailed as a symbol of a new, more inclusive South.
—
Susan Page, USA TODAY, 29 Dec. 2024
But as Adams, a law professor at the University of Michigan, shows, the promise of Brown to end segregation has been steadily eroded.
—New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
With an annual discretionary budget of $72 billion, the department provides rental assistance to 2 million families, oversees the country’s 800,000 public housing units, fights housing discrimination and segregation and provides support to the nation’s 650,000 homeless.
—Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 23 Dec. 2024
The school also helped to ease the transition from segregation to integration both in the Georgetown Independent School District and at Southwestern University.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for segregation 
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Susan Page, USA TODAY, 29 Dec. 2024
But as Adams, a law professor at the University of Michigan, shows, the promise of Brown to end segregation has been steadily eroded.
—New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
With an annual discretionary budget of $72 billion, the department provides rental assistance to 2 million families, oversees the country’s 800,000 public housing units, fights housing discrimination and segregation and provides support to the nation’s 650,000 homeless.
—Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 23 Dec. 2024
The school also helped to ease the transition from segregation to integration both in the Georgetown Independent School District and at Southwestern University.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for segregation
Dictionary Entries Near segregation
Cite this Entry
“Segregation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/segregation. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
segregation
noun
seg·re·ga·tion
ˌseg-ri-ˈgā-shən
1
: the act or process of segregating : the state of being segregated
2
: the separation or isolation of a race, class, or group (as by restriction to an area or by separate schools)
Medical Definition
segregation
noun
seg·re·ga·tion
ˌseg-ri-ˈgā-shən
: the separation of allelic genes that occurs typically during meiosis
Legal Definition
segregation
noun
seg·re·ga·tion
ˌse-gri-ˈgā-shən
1
: separation of individuals or groups and especially racial groups compare desegregation
—
de facto segregation
: segregation of racial groups that arises as a result of economic, social, or other factors rather than by operation or enforcement of laws or other official state action
—
de jure segregation
: segregation intended or mandated by law or otherwise intentionally arising from state action
Note: De jure segregation is illegal.
2
: separate confinement of prisoners within a penal institution
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