apartheid

noun

Definition of apartheidnext
as in segregation
a former social system in South Africa in which black people and people from other racial groups did not have the same political and economic rights as white people and were forced to live separately from white people

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for apartheid
  1. segregation
  2. discrimination
Noun
  • King joined faith leaders and civil rights advocates from across the country to honor those who challenged housing segregation, racial injustice and systemic inequality decades ago.
    — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In her order, Sykes barred the government from placing detainees in administrative segregation unless doing so was necessary to address a security threat to staff or the facility, or if a detainee requested it.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of segregation
Noun
  • This finding does not make historical discrimination less important.
    — Mahbubur Meenar, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Trump's businesses say those explanations obscure political discrimination.
    — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of discrimination
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Apartheid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apartheid. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on apartheid

Nglish: Translation of apartheid for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about apartheid

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