Integration means bringing separate parts together into a unified whole. When you integrate things, you combine them so they work together smoothly instead of staying apart.

In math, integration is a way to find the total area under a curve or to add up many tiny pieces to understand something larger. If you imagine slicing a pizza into infinitely thin pieces and then adding them back together to find the whole pizza's area, you're thinking about integration.

In history and society, integration often refers to ending segregation and bringing people of different backgrounds together. When schools integrated in the 1950s and 1960s, students of all races began learning in the same classrooms after decades of forced separation. This kind of integration means creating one community instead of keeping groups divided.

In everyday life, you might integrate new skills into your routine, like when a soccer player integrates a new move into their playing style. Software developers integrate different programs so they work together smoothly. A chef might integrate flavors from different cuisines to create something new.

The opposite of integration is segregation or separation, where parts stay isolated and don't connect.