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 How to pronounce segregate (audio)
: 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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Verb
Children with disabilities, who are often segregated in American child care programs, are included in activities. Jackie Mader, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2024 The new attorneys for Colin Gray filed a motion Wednesday asking for the father to be segregated from the general population at the Barrow County Detention Center, where he is being held without bail, according to court documents. Isabel Rosales, CNN, 11 Sep. 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 See all Example Sentences for segregate 

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 8 Nov. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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