segregation
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the policy or practice of keeping people of different races, religions, or genders separate in society.
the enforced or systemic separation of different racial, ethnic, or social groups in a country, community, or establishment.
Simple“The civil rights movement fought to end racial segregation in public schools.”
In context“The landmark court ruling aimed to dismantle the systemic segregation that had historically excluded minority groups from equal access to housing and education.”
Usageoften used with the preposition 'of' followed by the group being separated.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
the act of separating things into different groups based on what they are.
the act of setting apart or isolating items or data based on shared characteristics or qualities.
Simple“The segregation of recyclable materials from general waste helps the environment.”
In context“Effective waste management requires the strict segregation of hazardous chemicals from organic matter to prevent environmental contamination.”
Usageuncountable in its general sense; countable when referring to specific instances.
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
keeping a prisoner away from other prisoners for safety or punishment.
the isolation of a prisoner from the general population, often for disciplinary reasons or administrative protection.
Simple“The inmate was placed in segregation after he started a fight in the cafeteria.”
In context“The warden ordered the prisoner into administrative segregation pending a full investigation into the security breach.”
Usageoften appears in the phrase 'administrative segregation'.
Synonymssolitary confinementisolation - 04 C2 Proficiency
the way parents pass only one of their two genes to their child.
the separation of pairs of alleles or chromosomes during the formation of reproductive cells.
Simple“The law of segregation explains how traits are passed from parents to offspring.”
In context“During meiosis, the segregation of homologous chromosomes ensures that each gamete receives a unique genetic profile.”
Usageusually refers to Mendelian inheritance or cell division.
Synonymsdisjunction
“He was reported to be very agitated, shouting and repeatedly pressing the emergency bell in his cell – he was then placed into segregation after getting into a fight with his cellmate.”
“Given the history of public education and segregation in the U.S., Black children and families are sometimes skeptical about traditional schooling.”
1555. From Latin segregatio. Morphologically segregate + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.