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
It was inspired by the Little Rock Nine, a group of Black students who were the first to desegregate schools in late 1950s Arkansas.
—
Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 17 June 2025
Troops have been mobilized before The Insurrection Act and related laws were used during the Civil Rights era to protect activists and students desegregating schools.
—Rebecca Boone, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025
Similarly, the push to desegregate American universities was followed by an explosion in the number of Black college students – a number that has increased by 125% since the 1970s, twice the national rate.
—Rodney Coates, The Conversation, 29 May 2025
Roosevelt’s successor Harry Truman would desegregate the army, using an executive order.
—Sonari Glinton, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for desegregate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 17 June 2025
Troops have been mobilized before The Insurrection Act and related laws were used during the Civil Rights era to protect activists and students desegregating schools.
—Rebecca Boone, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025
Similarly, the push to desegregate American universities was followed by an explosion in the number of Black college students – a number that has increased by 125% since the 1970s, twice the national rate.
—Rodney Coates, The Conversation, 29 May 2025
Roosevelt’s successor Harry Truman would desegregate the army, using an executive order.
—Sonari Glinton, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for desegregate
Cite this Entry
“Desegregate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desegregate. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share