What does integration mean?
Integration is the act or process of bringing separate parts together so that they form a coherent and effective whole. The word is used in many settings: businesses speak of integrating systems and teams, schools and governments discuss social or economic integration, and software developers refer to integrating one application with another. In social contexts, integration usually means enabling people or groups to participate fully in a wider community while retaining their own identities. It is not necessarily the same as simple inclusion or addition, because it often involves adjustment, coordination, and mutual change. The word is therefore useful whenever a process depends on parts working together harmoniously rather than remaining separate.
nounThe process of combining parts so that they work together effectively as a whole. It can also refer to the inclusion and adjustment of people or groups within a broader community or system.
- The process of combining two or more elements so that they form a unified or effective whole.
- The inclusion of people or groups into a wider community, society, or organization, especially without requiring them to abandon their distinctive identities.
- The process of incorporating new elements into an existing system, such as technology, data, or processes.
"The project requires close integration between the design, engineering, and marketing teams."
"The school has worked to strengthen integration across different parts of the community."
"The software update improves the integration of the booking system with the company database."
The plural is used when referring to multiple instances of combining systems, communities, or other elements.
"The company specializes in integrations between customer-service and logistics platforms."
The word integration comes from the same Latin root meaning “whole,” so its central idea is always making separate parts belong together.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of integration
Integration comes from Latin integrare, meaning “to make whole,” from integer, “whole” or “intact.” The English noun developed in the early 17th century in the sense of the action of making something whole or combining its parts. It later broadened to include the joining of people or groups within a larger society and the combining of technical systems. Its cognates include integral, integrity, and integer, all reflecting the underlying idea of wholeness.
Related word forms
How integration is actually used
The term is common in academic, technical, political, and social contexts. When referring to the inclusion of people in society, it often emphasizes equal participation and connection rather than the disappearance of cultural differences.
Easily confused with integration
Immigration is the act of entering a country to live there permanently, whereas integration is the process of becoming part of an existing society or system.
Incorporation emphasizes adding something to an existing group or organization, while integration emphasizes making the parts work together as a coherent whole.