segregation

American  

[seg-ri-gey-shuhn] / ˌsɛg rɪˈgeɪ ʃən /

noun

segregations plural

1. the act or practice of segregating; a setting apart or separation of people or things from others or from the main body or group.

   gender segregation in some fundamentalist religions.

2. the institutional separation of an ethnic, racial, religious, or other minority group from the dominant majority.

3. the state or condition of being segregated, set apart, separated, or restricted to one group.

   Segregation on buses meant that the seats at the front were reserved for white passengers.

   the segregation of private clubs.

4. something segregated, or set apart.

5. Genetics. the separation of allelic genes into different gametes during meiosis.

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segregation British  

/ ˌsɛɡrɪˈɡeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of segregating or state of being segregated

2. sociol the practice or policy of creating separate facilities within the same society for the use of a minority group

3. genetics the separation at meiosis of the two members of any pair of alleles into separate gametes See also Mendel's laws

4. metallurgy the process in which a component of an alloy or solid solution separates in small regions within the solid or on the solid's surface

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segregation Cultural  

1. The policy and practice of imposing the separation of races. In the United States, the policy of segregation denied African-Americans their civil rights and provided inferior facilities and services for them, most noticeably in public schools (see Brown versus Board of Education), housing, and industry. (See integration, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and separate but equal.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antisegregation
  noun
• nonsegregation
  noun
• resegregation
  noun
• segregational
  adjective
• unsegregational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• segregations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of segregation

First recorded in 1545–55; from Late Latin sēgregātiōn-, stem of sēgregātiō, from sēgregāt(us) “separated” (past participle of sēgregāre “to part from the flock”; see segregate) + -iō -ion

Explanation

Segregation is a system that keeps different groups separate from each other, either through physical dividers or using social pressures and laws. The Latin root literally means “separated from the flock,” and splitting a big flock of sheep into smaller groups is segregation. For many decades in the United States, “separate but equal” was the phrase used to describe the unjust racial segregation of black people and white people. There are harmless types of segregation as well, like "the segregation of dog food and human food in your cupboards."

Example Sentences

He was being moved to the prison's segregation unit because of his actions during the night and officers said he needed a shower after a dirty protest.

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026

Byrd’s personal transformation involved migrating from a solid self who truly believed in segregation to a solid self who truly believed in racial equality.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

But that is not, in fact, how Harlan meant it: In context, his broader argument was that permitting Jim Crow segregation would authorize a racial “caste” forbidden by the 14th Amendment.

From Slate • Jun. 22, 2026

Local organizers understood the strategic importance of finding a sympathetic plaintiff to challenge bus segregation in the Deep South.

From Salon • May 20, 2026

Illinois may have been ready to take on the issue of segregation, but the rest of the parade leadership was not.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Related Words

• apartheid
• discrimination
• isolation
• partition