desegregation

American  

[dee-seg-ri-gey-shuhn, dee-seg-] / ˌdi sɛg rɪˈgeɪ ʃən, diˌsɛg- /

noun

1. the elimination of laws, customs, or practices under which people from different religions, ancestries, ethnic groups, etc., are restricted to specific or separate public facilities, neighborhoods, schools, organizations, or the like.

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Other Word Forms

• desegregationist
  noun
• antidesegregation
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of desegregation

First recorded in 1950–55; de- + segregation

Explanation

Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of different racial, religious, or cultural groups. A major goal of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century was desegregation. When you segregate one group of people, you deliberately keep them separate or apart from others. During much of America's history, there has been a policy of segregating African Americans in society — at various times, segregation has existed in the military, housing, jobs, education, and many other areas. Desegregation has attempted to remove this division and to integrate people of all races into the general community. The Latin root is segregatus, "set apart," or "separate from the flock."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

desegregation

The courtly federal judge John Minor Wisdom of New Orleans, a champion of Deep South desegregation, furnished a model in judicious temperament.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Supreme Court, under Chief Justice Earl Warren, began insisting on the enforcement of the desegregation mandate of Brown v.

From Slate ● May 7, 2026

In 1960, he was arrested with seven other students after a silent demonstration in a whites-only public library, which led to the desegregation of the library.

From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026

“This lawsuit is a misguided attempt to rewrite the history of school desegregation in the country,” Howard said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2026

For Durham’s black elite, pressing for desegregation was still too radical an idea—and one which, if implemented, would threaten their own economic well-being.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• assimilation