segregate

segregate — verb

1. to put or keep something in a separate place from other things, so that differen

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to put or keep something in a separate place from other things, so that different types do not mix or touch each other.

Example

The hospital segregates patients with infectious diseases from the general ward.

segregate + object + from + noun phrase

In the recycling plant, glass bottles are segregated by colour before processing.

passive: be segregated by [criteria]

Common collocations
  • segregate waste
  • segregate recyclables
  • segregate from the general population (metaphorical)
  • segregate by type / colour / size
Synonyms
  • separate

    more general and neutral; preferred for physical division of objects or people in everyday settings.

  • isolate

    suggests complete removal from contact, often for medical or safety reasons.

  • partition

    implies dividing a space with a physical barrier rather than moving items to different locations.

Antonyms
  • mix

    to combine different types together rather than keeping them apart.

  • unite

    to bring together into a single group or mass.

Grammar Patterns

segregate + object + from + noun phrase

be segregated from

Usage Note

Commonly appears in the passive voice when describing routine sorting processes (be segregated by, be segregated from). The object is typically materials, waste, or data — not people, unless extended metaphorically.

Common Mistakes

Please segregate the children from the adults in the playground.
Please separate the children from the adults in the playground.
For non-controversial physical separation of people, 'separate' is more natural; 'segregate' carries strong social/political overtones in human contexts.

2. to force a particular group of people to live, work, or study apart from others

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to force a particular group of people to live, work, or study apart from others and treat them unfairly, especially because of their race, religion, or sex.

Example

Until the 1960s, many schools in the southern United States were segregated by law.

passive: be segregated by law

The policy segregated women into lower-paying jobs with fewer opportunities for promotion.

segregate + group + into + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • racially segregated
  • segregated by law
  • segregated neighbourhoods
  • segregated schools
  • segregated facilities
  • segregate along racial / ethnic lines
Synonyms
  • separate

    neutral and general; preferred when no discriminatory intent is involved.

  • isolate

    emphasises cutting off from contact, often for protective or punitive reasons.

  • divide

    broader term; can describe splitting a group without implying unfair treatment.

Antonyms
  • integrate

    to bring different groups together into a unified system, especially ending segregation policies.

  • unite

    to bring together as one group.

Grammar Patterns

be segregated + by + race/gender/religion

segregate + group + from + another group

Usage Note

This sense carries strong negative moral and legal implications. It almost always describes an unjust or discriminatory practice. In historical writing, the passive construction (be segregated by law / by race) is common. Avoid using this sense lightly for non-social types of separation — use 'separate' instead to prevent unintended political overtones.

Common Mistakes

The hotel segregated smoking and non-smoking rooms.
The hotel separated smoking and non-smoking rooms.
'Segregate' in a non-social context sounds unnecessarily political; use 'separate' for physical arrangements of objects or neutral categories.
We should segregate the blue shirts from the red ones.
We should sort the blue shirts from the red ones.
For everyday sorting of objects, 'segregate' is too formal and carries unintended social connotations.

3. (in genetics) to describe how paired genes separate from each other when cells d

3.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

(in genetics) to describe how paired genes separate from each other when cells divide to form reproductive cells, so each reproductive cell receives only one copy of each gene.

Example

As cells form eggs or sperm, paired gene copies segregate so each sex cell gets one.

segregate + so that + clause (result)

Mendel proved that pea colour genes segregate separately from shape genes, producing both yellow wrinkled and green smooth peas.

Common collocations
  • alleles segregate
  • genes segregate independently
  • segregate during meiosis
  • segregate into gametes
Synonyms
  • separate

    general term; lacks the biological precision of 'segregate' in genetics contexts.

  • split

    informal equivalent sometimes used in textbooks, but less precise.

Grammar Patterns

alleles + segregate + during + noun phrase

segregate + into + gametes

Usage Note

Strictly a technical term in genetics and cell biology. The subject is always paired genetic units (alleles, genes, chromosomes), and the process takes place during meiosis. The intransitive use ('alleles segregate') is the standard form; transitive use ('the cell segregates the alleles') is rare and considered less precise.

Common Mistakes

The bacteria segregated into two groups under the microscope.
The bacteria divided into two groups under the microscope.
The genetic sense of 'segregate' only applies to allele/gene separation during meiosis, not to general cell division of bacteria.
The chromosomes segregated during mitosis.
The chromosomes segregated during meiosis.
In genetics textbooks, 'segregation' refers specifically to meiosis, not mitosis.

4. to leave a larger group, mass, or main body and gather in a separate smaller gro

4.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

to leave a larger group, mass, or main body and gather in a separate smaller group.

Example

Several members segregated from the main committee to form a new group.

segregate from [group] + to + infinitive

In times of danger, some animals segregate from the herd to draw predators away.

Common collocations
  • segregate from the main body
  • segregate from the herd
  • segregate into factions
Synonyms
  • separate

    more general; can describe both active division and natural splitting.

  • split off

    more informal; emphasises the process of breaking away from a main body.

  • withdraw

    focuses on the voluntary act of pulling away from a group.

Antonyms
  • merge

    to combine separate groups into one.

  • coalesce

    to come together to form one mass or group.

Grammar Patterns

segregate + from + noun phrase

Usage Note

This sense describes a spontaneous or natural splitting apart, without the element of force or discrimination present in sense 2. It is frequently used in geology and materials science (minerals segregating from a melt) as well as social or organisational contexts.

Common Mistakes

The teacher segregated the noisy students from the class.
The teacher separated the noisy students from the class.
This sense is intransitive (things segregate from each other by themselves); when someone actively separates others, use the transitive sense 1 or 'separate.'

segregate — noun

Word family

  • segregation
    nounB2
  • segregated
    adjectiveB2
  • segregationist
    nounC1
  • desegregate
    verbC1
  • desegregation
    nounC1
  • segregator
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All four words describe keeping people or things apart, but they differ sharply in tone and context. 'Segregate' is the strongest and most politically charged term: it specifically refers to the forced, institutional separation of groups by race, religion, or gender, almost always with an element of discrimination. 'Separate' is the general, neutral workhorse — you can separate laundry, friends who are fighting, or ideas in an essay without any social implication. 'Isolate' emphasises cutting something or someone off from contact entirely, often for protective reasons (an isolated patient) or punitive reasons (an isolated prisoner). 'Divide' is broader still and can refer to splitting a group into smaller parts without any moral judgment. For example: 'The school divided the students into four houses' (neutral splitting) versus 'The regime segregated Roma children into separate schools' (discriminatory policy). When writing about historical or ongoing discrimination, 'segregate' is the precise and honest word; for everyday separation of objects or neutral categories, choose 'separate' to avoid unintended gravity.

segregate ↗separate ↗isolate ↗divide ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • waste
  • recyclables
  • materials
  • students
  • patients
  • populations
  • facilities
  • neighbourhoods

Adverbs

Phrases

  • segregate along racial lines
  • segregate on the basis of
  • segregate according to

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Derived from the Latin verb 'segregare', which is a combination of 'se-' (meaning 'apart' or 'away') and 'greg-, grex' (meaning 'flock' or 'herd'). The literal original image was 'to separate a single animal from the flock.' English borrowed the word in the mid-1500s, first using it in the general sense of setting something apart. The social meaning — forcing groups of people apart by race or religion — became prominent from the mid-19th century onwards, especially in the context of slavery and later Jim Crow laws in the United States. In genetics, the term acquired a precise technical sense in the early 20th century following Mendel's rediscovery.