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Integration

n. capable, thoughtful professional

What it means

Meaning 1

The process of connecting separate parts into a coherent working whole.

Reach for it when naming the work of coordination rather than the finished combined object

Integration of the two timetables removed an hour of waiting from the journey.

Meaning 2

The process of ending separation between social groups and enabling shared participation.

Reach for it when discussing institutional change toward equal membership

Successful integration required fair housing access as well as shared classrooms.

Words to choose between 7

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom, and by meaning across. Tap a word to see when it fits.
Meaning 1Meaning 2
everyday
warm
professional
formal

Meaning 1: The process of connecting separate parts into a coherent working whole.

  • everyday

    combination

    Fits when the act of putting things together is enough

    Careful Combined parts may still fail to work coherently.

  • professional

    coordination

    Fits when aligning separate activities is the main task

    Careful Coordination preserves separation and may be only one step toward integration.

  • professional

    interoperability

    Fits when technical systems can exchange and use one another's information

    Careful Interoperability is a capability, not full organizational integration.

  • professional

    synthesis

    Fits when ideas or elements form a new whole

    Careful Synthesis is less suitable for linking operational services.

  • formal

    unification

    Fits when separate bodies become one structure

    Careful Unification may eliminate distinctions that integration can retain.

Meaning 2: The process of ending separation between social groups and enabling shared participation.

  • warm

    inclusion

    Fits when participation and belonging are the desired outcomes

    Careful Inclusion can happen without dismantling separate institutions.

  • formal

    desegregation

    Fits when ending enforced separation is the exact historical or legal process

    Careful Desegregation does not guarantee the relationships and equality implied by successful integration.

Opposites 3

  • separation
  • fragmentation
  • segregation

Common phrases 3

  • system integration

    System integration allowed the clinic to display one current patient record.

  • social integration

    Language exchanges supported social integration beyond the workplace.

  • successful integration

    Successful integration took patient negotiation between both departments.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated