To segregate means to separate people or things into different groups and keep them apart. You could segregate recyclables from trash before throwing them out, but segregate can also mean treating people differently based on characteristics like their race or religion.

While segregate can be used in many different ways, the word segregation almost always refers to the forced separation of people into different groups. Because of this serious meaning, many people choose words like separate or sort when talking about everyday things like organizing objects.