To end the forced separation of racial, ethnic, or social groups, allowing them to mix together in schools, public places, and institutions.
From de- (remove) + segregate (separate). This word became prominent during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s-60s when courts ordered schools and public spaces to integrate rather than remain segregated.
Words like 'desegregate' often appear first in legal documents and formal speech before entering everyday language—the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 made 'desegregation' a word that changed American history.
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