disassortative mating

[dis-uh-sawr-tuh-tiv]

noun Animal Behavior, Psychology.

the reproductive pairing of individuals that have traits more dissimilar than would likely be the case if mating were random (contrasted with assortative mating).

Compare panmixia.

Origin of disassortative mating

dis-¹ + assort + -ative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018