Definition of segregation
1 : the act or process of segregating : the state of being segregated
2a : 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 meansb : 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
From the M-W Editors
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
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As in many cities, patterns of segregation continue to shape where people live.
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In the fall of 1954, America was experiencing the birth of the civil rights movement and African-Americans had to deal with segregation in schools, buses, restaurants and public spaces, particularly in the Deep South.
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As if the noose itself weren't a clear enough message, it was found amid a segregation exhibition in galleries opened last year by the first black president of the United States, according to Smithsonian.com.
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The street was renamed in 1999 for Judge Melvyn Perez, who was unrelated, in part because of Leander Perez's long association with school segregation.
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According to CBS affiliate WUSA, the noose was found by museum visitors in the segregation section of the history galleries.
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So these two policies, the segregation of public housing in urban areas and the subsidization of white families to leave urban areas and to the suburbs, created the kind of racial patterns that we’re familiar with today.
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This style is typical of many Equalization Schools that were constructed across the South between the end of World War II and the end of segregation in public education that followed the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.
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Historians say his music also helped usher in the fall of racial segregation.
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.
1555
First Known Use of segregation
1555
Other Sociology Terms
SEGREGATION Defined for English Language Learners
segregation
playDefinition of segregation for English Language Learners
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: the practice or policy of keeping people of different races, religions, etc., separate from each other
SEGREGATION Defined for Kids
segregation
playDefinition of segregation for Students
: the practice or policy of separating a race, class, or group from the rest of society
Medical Dictionary
segregation
playMedical Definition of segregation
: the separation of allelic genes that occurs typically during meiosis
Law Dictionary
segregation
playLegal 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 Editor's note: De jure segregation is illegal.
2 : separate confinement of prisoners within a penal institution
Learn More about segregation
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See words that rhyme with segregation Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for segregation Spanish Central: Translation of segregation Nglish: Translation of segregation for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of segregation for Arabic speakers
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