desegregate

[dee-seg-ri-geyt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR desegregate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), de·seg·re·gat·ed, de·seg·re·gat·ing.

to eliminate racial segregation in: to desegregate all schools.

verb (used without object), de·seg·re·gat·ed, de·seg·re·gat·ing.

to eliminate racial segregation; to integrate at an institutional level members of different communities without regard to skin color.

Origin of desegregate

First recorded in 1950–55; de- + segregate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for desegregate

integrate, commingle, unify, open

Examples from the Web for desegregate

Contemporary Examples of desegregate

In 1962, the Kennedy administration was looking for a way to desegregate the Washington Redskins.
The Presidents Who Made America’s Sports
Evan Weiner
February 17, 2014
Attempting to desegregate Dar Ul Hijra, known in law enforcement circles as “the 9/11 mosque,” is significant.
Showdown at the Mosque
Asra Q. Nomani
May 17, 2010

British Dictionary definitions for desegregate

desegregate

verb

to end racial segregation in (a school or other public institution)

Derived Formsdesegregation, noundesegregationist, noun, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for desegregate

1948, back-formation from desegregation. Related: Desegregated; desegregating.