segregation
noun
seg·re·ga·tion
ˌse-gri-ˈgā-shən 
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
Examples of segregation in a Sentence
They fought to end the segregation of public schools.
the segregation of men and women
Recent Examples on the Web
Roy’s Taxi Entrepreneurial opportunities for providing private transportation services in Austin have been shaped largely by segregation, regulation and innovation.
—
Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 29 July 2025
The problems to surmount were structural: deindustrialization, entrenched segregation, economic marginalization—conditions shaped by Jim Crow, but not undone by its eclipse.
—Idrees Kahloon, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
At that time, minority groups in the United States faced the racial tensions of the segregation era and the struggle for civil rights.
—Wesley J. Pérez Vidal, NBC news, 22 July 2025
The couple fought segregation laws that redrew boundary lines to cut directly through their town.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for segregation
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Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 29 July 2025
The problems to surmount were structural: deindustrialization, entrenched segregation, economic marginalization—conditions shaped by Jim Crow, but not undone by its eclipse.
—Idrees Kahloon, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
At that time, minority groups in the United States faced the racial tensions of the segregation era and the struggle for civil rights.
—Wesley J. Pérez Vidal, NBC news, 22 July 2025
The couple fought segregation laws that redrew boundary lines to cut directly through their town.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for segregation
Cite this Entry
“Segregation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/segregation. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
segregation
noun
seg·re·ga·tion
ˌseg-ri-ˈgā-shən
1
: the act or process of segregating : the state of being segregated
2
: the separation or isolation of a race, class, or group (as by restriction to an area or by separate schools)
Medical Definition
segregation
noun
seg·re·ga·tion
ˌseg-ri-ˈgā-shən
: the separation of allelic genes that occurs typically during meiosis
Legal Definition
segregation
noun
seg·re·ga·tion
ˌse-gri-ˈgā-shən
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
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