heterogenous

American  

[het-uh-roj-uh-nuhs] / ˌhɛt əˈrɒdʒ ə nəs /

adjective

Biology, Pathology.

1. having its source or origin outside the organism; having a foreign origin.

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heterogenous British  

/ ˌhɛtəˈrɒdʒɪnəs /

adjective

1. biology med not originating within the body; of foreign origin Compare autogenous

   a heterogenous skin graft

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Etymology

Origin of heterogenous

First recorded in 1685–95; hetero- + -genous

Explanation

The adjective heterogenous is a somewhat comparative word, suggesting that two or more things are unlike in substance or nature, as in a heterogenous mixture containing two substances that do not totally combine, like oil and water. We can see the roots of heterogenous in the Greek combination of heteros, meaning "other," and genos, meaning "a kind." So heterogenous means "other kind." The United States, as a melting pot of cultures, contains a heterogenous population. Note that while this spelling is acceptable, the word is more correctly spelled heterogeneous, with the ending adding an "e" before the ous.

Example Sentences

Heterogenous groups of problem-solvers have been shown to outperform groups of homogenous, high-ability problem solvers, according to one study.

From Slate • Jan. 6, 2020