desegregation

noun

de·​seg·​re·​ga·​tion (ˌ)dē-ˌse-gri-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce desegregation (audio)
1
: the state of being desegregated
2
: the action or an instance of desegregating

Examples of desegregation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
World War II also provides the backdrop for Concord’s Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, which honors 320 Black soldiers killed in a 1944 explosion while unloading munitions — a tragedy that led to desegregation of the military. Martha Ross, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025 Historical examples include President Dwight D. Eisenhower sending federalized National Guard troops to enforce desegregation orders in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957, and President George H.W. Bush using the Guard during the Los Angeles riots in 1992. Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025 The Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District has been declared unitary and no longer under court supervision in a desegregation lawsuit with roots in the 1980s, a district judge ruled Tuesday. U.S. Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans. Dmitry Martirosov, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2025 Of course the road to desegregation was treacherous — and, yes, those (white) mothers put up massive, traumatic resistance to the equal education of Black students — but, ultimately, those sacrifices were worth it. Andrea Williams, Nashville Tennessean, 27 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for desegregation

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of desegregation was in 1931

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Cite this Entry

“Desegregation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desegregation. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

desegregation

noun
de·​seg·​re·​ga·​tion dē-ˌse-grə-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce desegregation (audio)
1
: the action or an instance of desegregating
2
: the state of being desegregated

More from Merriam-Webster on desegregation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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