segregate

1 of 2

verb

seg·​re·​gate ˈse-gri-ˌgāt How to pronounce segregate (audio)
segregated; segregating

transitive verb

1
: to separate or set apart from others or from the general mass : isolate
2
: to cause or force the separation of (as from the rest of society)

intransitive verb

1
2
: to practice or enforce a policy of segregation
3
: to undergo genetic segregation
segregative adjective

segregate

2 of 2

noun

seg·​re·​gate ˈse-gri-gət How to pronounce segregate (audio)
-ˌgāt
: one that is in some respect segregated
especially : one that differs genetically from the parental line because of genetic segregation

Did you know?

The prefix se- means "apart", so when you segregate something you set it apart from the herd. The word typically means separating something undesirable from the healthy majority. During the apple harvest, damaged fruit is segregated from the main crop and used for cider. In prisons, hardened criminals are segregated from youthful offenders. Lepers used to be segregated from the general population because they were thought to be highly infectious. The opposite of segregate is often integrate, and the two words were in the news almost daily for decades as African-Americans struggled to be admitted into all-white schools and neighborhoods.

Examples of segregate in a Sentence

Verb The civil rights movement fought against practices that segregated black and white people. Many states at that time continued to segregate public schools.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Schools for the deaf spread throughout the 19th century, but many in the South were segregated, causing sign language to develop differently in Black and white communities, Hill said through an interpreter. USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 These urban renewal efforts, by Jacobs’ account, failed to actually house more people, and their effects in segregating poor people and communities of color are well-documented. Alena Botros, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024 For 28 years, the aliens (known as prawns), were prevented from returning home by the government and forced to live in District 9, a refugee camp where they are segregated from the general population. Ilana Gordon, EW.com, 19 Jan. 2024 For example, students were required to attend schools in their neighborhoods, which, due to housing discrimination, were segregated. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2024 Several people called the apartments with below-market rents Section 8 housing, which has a negative reputation because a component of that federal housing assistance program that supported building apartment complexes ended up segregating people with low incomes into one area. The Arizona Republic, 15 Jan. 2024 One possible explanation: Even within districts, individual schools have become increasingly segregated by income and race in recent years, said Ann Owens, a sociologist at the University of Southern California. Claire Cain Miller, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024 Ukraine avoided using weapons or equipment that could be traced to U.S. sources, and even covert funding streams were segregated. Isabelle Khurshudyan, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2023 Movies from overseas were mainly segregated in the best foreign language category. Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Jan. 2024
Noun
Kach wanted to strip Arab Israelis of their citizenship, segregate Israeli public spaces, and ban marriages between Jews and non-Jews. Isabel Debre, USA TODAY, 28 Aug. 2023 Rise in blasphemy cases Most mainstream schools of Islam around the world segregate men and women during prayers and do not permit women to lead mixed gendered prayers or deliver sermons. Heather Chen, CNN, 3 Aug. 2023 An instrument panel that blends into the center console is almost a cliché these days; Audi's segregates these elements. Fred M.h. Gregory, Car and Driver, 12 July 2023 Hospitals are already struggling to find female doctors as the government seeks to further segregate female and male sections, and December’s ban on women studying in universities is likely to aggravate those staff shortages. Rick Noack, Washington Post, 28 June 2023 Everyone kind of self segregates. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2023 Specific Duties Arising from General Duties Within each of the general duties, the Trustee has specific duties to take certain actions in the Trust including to control, segregate, earmark, and protect Trust assets. Matthew Erskine, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023 Whereas people in the north in the big cities are on paper not racist, but we all self segregate in these big cities. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2023 Choosing to self-segregate opens the door open to polarization. Helen Lee Bouygues, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'segregate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin segregatus, past participle of segregare, from se- apart + greg-, grex herd — more at secede

First Known Use

Verb

1542, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of segregate was in 1542

Dictionary Entries Near segregate

Cite this Entry

“Segregate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/segregate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

segregate

verb
seg·​re·​gate
ˈseg-ri-ˌgāt
segregated; segregating
: to separate from others or from the general mass : isolate
especially : to separate by races
Etymology

Verb

from Latin segregatus "set apart," from segregare "to set apart," from se- "apart, without" and gregare "gather together into a flock or herd," from greg-, grex "flock, herd" — related to aggregate, congregate

Medical Definition

segregate

1 of 2 intransitive verb
seg·​re·​gate ˈseg-ri-ˌgāt How to pronounce segregate (audio)
segregated; segregating
: to undergo genetic segregation

segregate

2 of 2 noun
seg·​re·​gate -gət How to pronounce segregate (audio)
: an individual or class of individuals differing in one or more genetic characters from the parental line usually because of segregation of genes

Legal Definition

segregate

verb
seg·​re·​gate ˈse-gri-ˌgāt How to pronounce segregate (audio)
segregated; segregating

transitive verb

: to cause or force the separation of
specifically : to separate (persons) on the basis of race, religion, or national origin

intransitive verb

: to practice or enforce a policy of segregation
segregative adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on segregate

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