segregation

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

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

SXU prof earns grant for racial zoning research How did city planners play a role in using new school construction to create residential segregation, especially in southern cities that once had substantially mixed-race housing patterns?

— Daily Southtown, "Community news," 30 Aug. 2017
In fact, during the 1950s, Texas would implement more new segregation laws than in any prior decade.

— mitchel p. roth, Smithsonian, "Desegregation Came Early at the Texas Prison Rodeo," 30 Aug. 2017
Largely because of 20th Century federal segregation policy, while average African American income is about 60 percent of white income, African American wealth is only 7 percent of white wealth.

— valerie strauss, Washington Post, "Is living in poverty really a ‘mind-set’?," 25 Aug. 2017
This was nine years after segregation was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in its Brown v. Board of Education ruling.

— lincoln anthony blades, Teen Vogue, "Colleges and Universities are Becoming Less White, and Republicans Like Them Less," 20 July 2017
Hughes’ teams won five state championships: two UIL titles at Dunbar and three titles in the Prairie View Interscholastic League at Terrell during an era of racial segregation.

— eric zarate, star-telegram, "Basketball legend Robert Hughes to be honored by Texas coaches," 19 July 2017
Meanwhile, although the gap in school resources has narrowed from the chasm of the segregation era, discrepancies remain.

— The Economist, "Separate and unequalAn ingenious bid to force improvements in Mississippi schools," 13 July 2017
But the extent of their segregation is less exceptional.

— The Economist, "Separate and unequalAn ingenious bid to force improvements in Mississippi schools," 13 July 2017
O'Regan's research also shows that the use of federal tax credits for affordable housing is linked to declines in racial segregation in cities.

— tracy jan, chicagotribune.com, "Affordable housing in black neighborhoods can lead to greater racial and income integration, study finds," 7 July 2017

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

segregation Synonyms

Other Sociology Terms

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

SEGREGATION Defined for English Language Learners

segregation

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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

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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

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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

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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