Meaning & use
segregate
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To separate people or things into different groups based on race, sex, religion, or another category.
Grammar: Takes an object: segregate students.
Patterns
- segregate someone/something
- segregate someone/something from someone/something
- segregate someone/something into something
The new law segregated schools by race, a practice later ruled unconstitutional.
In some societies, people are segregated by gender in public transportation.
The company was accused of segregating its workforce by nationality.
verbtransitive
To separate one group or thing from others; to isolate.
Grammar: Often used with 'from': segregate the sick from the healthy.
Patterns
- segregate someone/something from someone/something
During the outbreak, patients were segregated from the rest of the population.
The recycling system segregates plastic from paper.
verbintransitive
To become separated into different groups; to separate out.
Grammar: No object: the students segregated by ability.
Patterns
- segregate into something
Over time, the neighborhoods segregated along income lines.
The particles segregate into distinct layers when left undisturbed.
Word forms
| third person singular | segregates |
|---|---|
| past tense | segregated |
| past participle | segregated |
| -ing form | segregating |
Common combinations
- racially segregated
- The city remained racially segregated for decades.
- segregate by race
- It is illegal to segregate students by race.
- segregate from
- The prisoners were segregated from the general population.
- segregate into
- The waste is segregated into different categories for recycling.
Synonyms and how they differ
- separate
- A general word for dividing things; it lacks the strong social and historical associations of 'segregate'.
- isolate
- Emphasizes setting someone or something apart completely, often for protection or punishment.
- divide
- Focuses on splitting into parts, not necessarily by category or with unfair treatment.
Opposites
Word family
- segregation noun
- The act or policy of separating groups, especially racially.
- segregated adjective
- Kept apart from others; divided along racial or other lines.
- segregationist noun
- A person who supports segregation.
Commonly confused: segregate or segregate vs segregate?
segregate vs segregate vs segregate
No common confusion; but note the pronunciation: the verb ends with /-ɡeɪt/, while the noun 'segregation' ends with /-ɡeɪʃən/.
Practice
The policy was designed to ______ students with disabilities from their peers.
Choose one answer.
After 'to' we need the base form of the verb, so 'segregate' is correct. 'Segregated' is the past tense or adjective, 'segregating' is the -ing form, and 'segregation' is a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “segregate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.