homogeneous

American  

[hoh-muh-jee-nee-uhs, -jeen-yuhs, hom-uh-] / ˌhoʊ məˈdʒi ni əs, -ˈdʒin yəs, ˌhɒm ə- /

adjective

1. composed of parts or elements that are all of the same kind; not heterogeneous.

   a homogeneous population.

   Synonyms:

   identical, similar, alike, unmixed, unvarying

2. of the same kind or nature; essentially alike.

3. Mathematics.

   1. having a common property throughout.

      a homogeneous solid figure.

   2. having all terms of the same degree.

      a homogeneous equation.

   3. relating to a function of several variables that becomes multiplied by some power of a constant when each variable is multiplied by that constant: x 2 y 3 is a homogeneous expression of degree 5.

   4. relating to a differential equation in which a linear combination of derivatives is set equal to zero.

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homogeneous British  

/ ˌhɒm-, ˌhəʊməʊdʒɪˈniːɪtɪ, ˌhəʊməˈdʒiːnɪəs, ˌhɒm- /

adjective

1. composed of similar or identical parts or elements

2. of uniform nature

3. similar in kind or nature

4. having a constant property, such as density, throughout

5. maths

   1. (of a polynomial) containing terms of the same degree with respect to all the variables, as in x ² + 2 xy + y ²

   2. (of a function) containing a set of variables such that when each is multiplied by a constant, this constant can be eliminated without altering the value of the function, as in cos x / y + x / y

   3. (of an equation) containing a homogeneous function made equal to 0

6. chem of, composed of, or concerned with a single phase Compare heterogeneous

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Usage

What does homogeneous mean? Homogeneous most generally means consisting of parts or elements that are all the same. Something that is homogeneous is uniform in nature or character throughout. Homogeneous can also be used to describe multiple things that are all essentially alike or of the same kind. In the context of chemistry, homogeneous is used to describe a mixture that is uniform in structure or composition. The verb homogenize means to make something homogeneous. To homogenize milk is to blend it in a way that results in the milk fat being evenly distributed throughout it. The state of being homogeneous is homogeneity. The general sense of homogeneous can be used interchangeably with the word homogenous (which is spelled without a second e and is pronounced differently). When used in this general way, homogenous is more commonly used than homogeneous. Homogenous is also used in the context of biology to mean corresponding in structure due to either a common origin or a common environment. The opposite of most senses of homogeneous is heterogeneous, which most generally means consisting of different, distinguishable parts or elements. Example: This suburb is so homogeneous—even the houses all look the same.

Other Word Forms

• homogeneity
  noun
• homogeneously
  adverb
• homogeneousness
  noun
• nonhomogeneous
  adjective
• nonhomogeneously
  adverb
• nonhomogeneousness
  noun
• unhomogeneous
  adjective
• unhomogeneously
  adverb
• unhomogeneousness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of homogeneous

First recorded in 1635–45; from Medieval Latin homogeneus, from homogene-, stem of Greek homogenḗs “of the same kind” ( see homo-, gene) + -us -ous

Explanation

If a group of things are homogeneous, they're all the same or similar, like a room full of identically dressed Elvis impersonators. The adjective homogeneous comes from the Greek homogenes, meaning “of the same kind.” You can break down the root of the word further into two parts: homos, meaning “same,” and genos, meaning “kind, gender, race, stock.” It sounds very scientific, but if you look around the table at home and everyone is eating a bowl of oatmeal, you could safely describe your family’s breakfast tastes as homogeneous.

Example Sentences

Then, as now, Vermont was one of the most homogeneous, predominantly white states in the country.

From Salon • Feb. 23, 2026

What surprised me at the time was how homogeneous board discussions and decisions were, with votes often being unanimous and seemingly perfunctory.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

Many large genomic databases are dominated by relatively homogeneous populations, leaving major gaps when it comes to admixed groups.

From Science Daily • Jan. 8, 2026

I’m always developing jokes for me, and I’m mindful of who might be in the audience, but I’m very lucky in that I don’t have a homogeneous audience.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2025

If you have a homogeneous class, exposing them to ideas and beliefs of others only helps to expand their worldview in a 21st century classroom.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin