What does "integration" mean?

1. (combining parts) the act of bringing different things together to work as one system. 2. (social inclusion) the process of helping people from different groups or cultures live and work together fairly. 3. (calculus) a mathematical process used to find areas, volumes, and totals. 4. (biological development) the way different parts of a living thing develop together into a simple, permanent form.

How do you use "integration"?

Often followed by the preposition 'of' or 'into'. In mathematics, it is the inverse process of differentiation.

integration

US //ˌɪnəˈɡɹeɪʃən// UK //ˌɪntɪɡɹˈeɪʃən// in·te·gra·tion

1 combining parts (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the act of bringing different things together to work as one system.

the process of combining multiple components or systems into a unified, functional whole.

Example

The integration of the two computer systems took several months to complete.

Example

Successful business integration requires aligning the corporate cultures of both companies rather than just merging their financial assets.

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'of' or 'into'.
- separation
- fragmentation
2 social inclusion (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the process of helping people from different groups or cultures live and work together fairly.

the process of incorporating individuals or minority groups into a wider community or society.

Example

The government is working on the social integration of new immigrants.

Example

The school's policy promotes the integration of students from diverse backgrounds to foster a more inclusive learning environment.
- segregation
- exclusion

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3 calculus (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Math

a mathematical process used to find areas, volumes, and totals.

the mathematical operation of finding the integral of a function.

Example

We learned the basic rules of integration in our calculus class today.

Example

The physicist used complex integration to calculate the total energy produced during the chemical reaction.

Usage

In mathematics, it is the inverse process of differentiation.
- differentiation
4 biological development (n.)
C2 Proficiency Academic Technical Science

the way different parts of a living thing develop together into a simple, permanent form.

the evolutionary process by which complex parts are coordinated into a relatively simple and stable organism.

Example

The integration of different organs allows the body to function properly.

Example

Biologists study the integration of various physiological systems to understand how organisms adapt to extreme environments.
- coordination
- differentiation

Origin

From French intégration, from Latin integratio. Morphologically integrate + -ion.