desegregate
verb
de·seg·re·gate
(ˌ)dē-ˈse-gri-ˌgāt 
desegregated; desegregating; desegregates
: to eliminate segregation in
specifically
: to free of any law, provision, or practice requiring isolation of the members of a particular race in separate units
: to become desegregated
Examples of desegregate in a Sentence
efforts to desegregate the town's buses
Eventually the city's schools desegregated.
Recent Examples on the Web
Luper led her students in nonviolent demonstrations to desegregate hundreds of establishments across Oklahoma during the 1950s and '60s.
—
Maria Guinnip, Oklahoman, 14 Apr. 2026
Neighborhoods have been torched for asserting voting rights or attempting to desegregate schools.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
That 1971 Supreme Court case mandated district-wide busing to aid in fully desegregating schools.
—Desiree Mathurin
march 10, Charlotte Observer, 10 Mar. 2026
The Mansfield Historical Society is working to create a landmark to honor and reflect on the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Mansfield Crisis, when whites prevented Black students from enrolling at Mansfield High School after a federal court ordered it to desegregate.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for desegregate
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Maria Guinnip, Oklahoman, 14 Apr. 2026
Neighborhoods have been torched for asserting voting rights or attempting to desegregate schools.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
That 1971 Supreme Court case mandated district-wide busing to aid in fully desegregating schools.
—Desiree Mathurin
march 10, Charlotte Observer, 10 Mar. 2026
The Mansfield Historical Society is working to create a landmark to honor and reflect on the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Mansfield Crisis, when whites prevented Black students from enrolling at Mansfield High School after a federal court ordered it to desegregate.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for desegregate
Cite this Entry
“Desegregate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desegregate. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
desegregate
verb
de·seg·re·gate
(ˈ)dē-ˈseg-ri-ˌgāt
: to eliminate segregation in
especially
: to end by law the isolation of members of a particular race in separate units
desegregate city schools
desegregation
noun
(ˌ)dē-ˌseg-ri-ˈgā-shən
Legal Definition
desegregate
transitive verb
de·seg·re·gate
dē-ˈse-grə-ˌgāt
desegregated; desegregating
: to eliminate segregation in
specifically
: to free from any law, provision, or practice requiring isolation of the members of a particular race in separate units
: to become desegregated
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