desegregate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
- desegregation noun
- desegregationist noun
Etymology
Origin of desegregate
Explanation
To desegregate is to stop separating groups of people by race, religion, or ethnicity. When a city desegregates its schools, it makes sure that all schools have racially diverse populations. The verb desegregate is the opposite of segregate, or "separate by race or religion." Both words are often used in connection with the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. In 1954, the Brown v Board of Education case desegregated public schools in the U.S., ruling that separate publicly funded schools for black and white students were unconstitutional.
Vocabulary lists containing desegregate
Chapter 28: The Cold War Era
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Little Rock Girl 1957
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yvonne Lee Odom helped desegregate public schools in the 1960s, becoming the first black student to attend public school in Delray Beach, Florida.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
Since his appointment in 2017, Saudi Arabia has reined in its religious police, lifted a ban on women driving, allowed restaurants and cafes to desegregate by gender and promoted cinema and music events.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026
It required federal litigation to desegregate the public golf course and the city’s airport.
From Slate • Aug. 6, 2024
About 67 years ago, she and eight other courageous teenagers courageously walked into school, cementing themselves in history as the firsts to desegregate schools in the South.
From Salon • Apr. 8, 2024
Attorney General Robert Kennedy had given Southern theater owners an ultimatum: desegregate voluntarily—now—or the federal government would do it for them.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
