segregation

noun seg·re·ga·tion \ ˌse-gri-ˈgā-shən \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Examples: segregation in a Sentence

Definition of segregation

1 : the act or process of segregating : the state of being segregated

2 a : the separation or isolation of a race, class, or ethnic group by enforced or voluntary residence in a restricted area, by barriers to social intercourse, by separate educational facilities, or by other discriminatory means

b : the separation for special treatment or observation of individuals or items from a larger group

segregation of gifted children into accelerated classes

3 : the separation of allelic genes that occurs typically during meiosis

See segregation defined for English-language learners

See segregation defined for kids

Examples of segregation in a Sentence

They fought to end the segregation of public schools.
the segregation of men and women

Recent Examples of segregation from the Web

But lawyers have yet to find a legal basis for the segregation — so why are 15 teenage boys being moved to the city’s jail for women?

— aubrey nagle, Philly.com, "Trump cancels Eagles celebration, Krasner wants list of tainted police | Morning Newsletter," 5 June 2018
Critics also charge that a takeover could lead to the re-segregation of Jefferson County's public schools.

— mandy mclaren, The Courier-Journal, "Research: Takeovers of urban districts like JCPS usually don't work," 31 May 2018
One reason is geography and the inherent segregation of Kansas City’s neighborhoods.

— aaron randle and kelsey ryan, kansascity, "Black KC drivers get more tickets than whites. Race is only part of the problem | The Kansas City Star," 20 May 2018
In 2004, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ran a series of stories marking the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that found racial segregation of schools to be unconstitutional.

— alan j. borsuk, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Borsuk: Wisconsin's achievement gap is our tragic claim to fame. Where's the outrage?," 27 Apr. 2018
Harris, the former senator, said blacks were disproportionately affected by the subprime loan crisis of the late 2000s, which contributed to the further racial and economic segregation of neighborhoods, especially in urban areas.

— russell contreras, Fox News, "MLK tackled many issues in his lifetime. Where are we now?," 1 Apr. 2018
Creating a segregation index The Apartment List report takes a new look at a long-festering problem.

— patrick sisson, Curbed, "New study finds rent burden higher in segregated neighborhoods," 24 May 2018
Many proposals for addressing school segregation seem pretty small, especially when compared to the scale and severity of the problem.

— rachel cohen, The Atlantic, "An Unusual Idea for Fixing School Segregation," 23 May 2018
In the years before and after the Supreme Court struck down school segregation with its 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, a number of African-American children volunteered (or were drafted) to be the first black kids in all-white schools.

— valentina zarya, Fortune, "Serena Williams, Muriel Bowser, NYSE's First Female CEO: Broadsheet for May 23rd," 23 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'segregation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of segregation

1555

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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segregation Synonyms

Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture

SEGREGATION Defined for English Language Learners

segregation

noun

Definition of segregation for English Language Learners

: the practice or policy of keeping people of different races, religions, etc., separate from each other

SEGREGATION Defined for Kids

segregation

noun seg·re·ga·tion \ ˌse-gri-ˈgā-shən \

Definition of segregation for Students

: the practice or policy of separating a race, class, or group from the rest of society

Medical Dictionary

segregation

noun seg·re·ga·tion \ ˌseg-ri-ˈgā-shən \

medical Definition of segregation

: the separation of allelic genes that occurs typically during meiosis

Law Dictionary

segregation

noun seg·re·ga·tion \ ˌse-gri-ˈgā-shən \

legal Definition of segregation

1 : separation of individuals or groups and especially racial groups — compare desegregation

— de facto segregation

: segregation of racial groups that arises as a result of economic, social, or other factors rather than by operation or enforcement of laws or other official state action

— de jure segregation

: segregation intended or mandated by law or otherwise intentionally arising from state action

Note: De jure segregation is illegal.

2 : separate confinement of prisoners within a penal institution