Ma'anar ƙamus na "de jure segregation" yana nufin wani nau'i na rarrabuwar kawuna wanda doka ko manufofin gwamnati ke aiwatarwa. Kishiyar “de facto segregation” ne, wanda ke nufin rarrabuwar kawuna da ke faruwa saboda al’amuran zamantakewa da tattalin arziki, maimakon bisa doka ko siyasa. A cikin Amurka, de jure segregation shine tsarin rarrabuwar kawuna wanda ya wanzu a yawancin jihohin Kudu kafin yancin farar hula na 1950s da 1960s, wanda Kotun Koli ta Amurka ta ayyana shi da rashin bin ka'ida a lokuta masu mahimmanci kamar Brown v. Hukumar Ilimi.