integration

integration — noun

1. the process by which people from different racial, cultural, or religious backgr

1.nounB2
Definition

the process by which people from different racial, cultural, or religious backgrounds become accepted as equal members of a society or organisation

Example

Valentina joined a sports club to support the integration of refugee communities into neighbourhood life.

integration of [group] into [community]

The city's integration programme helped families from different cultural backgrounds learn from one another.

integration programme — common collocation

Common collocations
  • racial integration
  • social integration
  • cultural integration
  • integration programme
  • integration policy
  • promote integration
  • achieve integration
Synonyms
  • inclusion

    broader term — does not necessarily imply full mixing or equal status, only that people are included

  • assimilation

    stronger and now often contested — suggests that minority groups give up their own culture to blend in, which integration does not require

  • desegregation

    historical or legal term — refers specifically to ending the forced separation of racial groups

Antonyms
  • segregation

    the enforced separation of different racial or ethnic groups

  • exclusion

    the act of keeping certain groups out of a society or organisation

Grammar Patterns

integration of [group] into [society/organisation]

integration of [group] with [another group]

Usage Note

Frequently appears in discussions of immigration policy, education reform, and community relations. The groups involved are typically defined by race, ethnicity, culture, religion, or disability status.

Common Mistakes

The integration of the two companies was finalised last month.' (when referring to business mergers)
The merger of the two companies was finalised last month.
use 'merger' for organisations combining; reserve 'integration' (sense 1) for people and communities, or sense 2 for systems and data.

2. the process of bringing together several parts, systems, or pieces of informatio

2.nounB2
Definition

the process of bringing together several parts, systems, or pieces of information so that they function as a single coordinated whole

Example

The integration of the hospital's old and new systems saved staff several hours each week.

integration of [system A] and [system B]

Nora's role involves the integration of customer feedback into the product development cycle.

Common collocations
  • system integration
  • data integration
  • software integration
  • business integration
  • smooth integration
  • seamless integration
  • vertical integration
  • horizontal integration
Synonyms
  • combination

    simpler and more general — does not carry the implication that the parts become one functioning whole

  • merger

    specifically about organisations or companies joining; also implies a legal or formal process

  • unification

    more formal — suggests a stronger degree of unity, often in political or ideological contexts

  • synthesis

    used in academic contexts — the combination of ideas or elements into a coherent whole

Antonyms
  • separation

    keeping parts apart rather than joining them

  • division

    splitting something into smaller parts

Grammar Patterns

integration of [part/system] into [whole]

integration of [thing A] with [thing B]

[adj] integration of [noun phrase]

Usage Note

The broadest sense of the word — used across business, technology, science, and everyday contexts. The object is always multiple items that are brought together (systems, data, departments, processes); use the verb 'integrate' for a more active tone in everyday speech.

Common Mistakes

We need an integration of our schedules.' (unnatural noun usage)
We need to integrate our schedules.
the noun 'integration' is less common in casual speech than the verb 'integrate'.

3. a method in calculus for computing the total value of a varying quantity — commo

3.nounC1
Definition

a method in calculus for computing the total value of a varying quantity — commonly used to find areas, volumes, and accumulated totals

Example

Students used integration to calculate the area under the curve y = x².

integration used to calculate area under a curve

Numerical integration is useful for estimating the volume of oddly shaped containers.

numerical integration — compound mathematical term

Common collocations
  • numerical integration
  • integration by parts
  • integration by substitution
  • definite integration
  • indefinite integration
  • integration of a function
Synonyms
  • antidifferentiation

    the formal mathematical synonym — less common in teaching contexts but technically precise

Antonyms
  • differentiation

    the opposite operation in calculus — finding the rate of change of a function

Grammar Patterns

integration of [function]

numerical integration

integration by parts

Usage Note

A domain-specific term encountered in advanced mathematics and engineering. Frequently appears in the set phrases 'numerical integration', 'integration by parts', and 'integration by substitution'. The opposite operation is differentiation.

Common Mistakes

I used integration to add 2 and 3.
I used addition to add 2 and 3.
'integration' is a calculus concept, not a synonym for ordinary addition.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words describe bringing things together, but they differ in scope and context. 'Combination' is the most general and neutral: two or more items are simply joined, with no requirement that they work together afterwards (e.g. 'a combination of colours'). 'Integration' implies that the parts become a coordinated whole — they are not just placed side by side but function together. 'Merger' is restricted to organisations, companies, or legal entities joining formally; the individual identities are often lost or blended (e.g. 'the merger of two banks'). 'Unification' carries a political or ideological tone — it suggests that separate groups or territories become one (e.g. 'the unification of Germany'). 'Synthesis' is academic: ideas, theories, or chemical compounds are combined into something new (e.g. 'a synthesis of Eastern and Western philosophy'). Use 'integration' when the key point is that the parts work together smoothly; use 'combination' for simple joining; use 'merger' for corporate contexts; use 'unification' for political unity; and use 'synthesis' for intellectual or chemical blending.

combination ↗merger ↗unificationsynthesis ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • integration process
  • integration strategy
  • integration project
  • integration effort

Phrases

  • promote integration
  • achieve integration
  • facilitate integration
  • lead to integration

Prepositions

  • integration of
  • integration into
  • integration with
  • integration between

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Integration comes from the Latin verb 'integrare', meaning 'to make whole or restore', which in turn comes from 'integer' — 'whole, untouched, complete'. The word entered English in the early 1600s with the general meaning 'to bring parts together into a whole'. The mathematical sense, referring to the calculus operation of summing infinitely small pieces, emerged in the 1700s following the development of calculus by Newton and Leibniz.