1. The action of incorporating a racial or religious body of people into a community: The members of the local church were proud to have been the first to incorporate policies of desegregation into their bylaws.
2. The elimination of laws, customs, or practices under which different races, assemblages, etc., are restricted to specific or separate public facilities, neighborhoods, schools, organizations, or similar groups and places: The desegregation of the local schools, accomplished by the use of military forces, caused huge negative reactions in the neighborhood.