de facto segregation

[ dee fak-toh seg-ruh-gey-shuh n, dey fak-toh ]
/ di ˈfæk toʊ ˌsɛg rəˈgeɪ ʃən, deɪ ˈfæk toʊ /

noun

racial, ethnic, or other segregation resulting from societal differences between groups, as socioeconomic or political disparity, without institutionalized legislation intended to segregate.

Origin of de facto segregation

First recorded in 1955–60

Words nearby de facto segregation

Cultural definitions for de facto segregation

de facto segregation
[ (di fak-toh, day fak-toh) ]

Racial segregation, especially in public schools, that happens “by fact” rather than by legal requirement. For example, often the concentration of African-Americans in certain neighborhoods produces neighborhood schools that are predominantly black, or segregated in fact (de facto), although not by law (de jure).