heterogeneous
adjective
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Origin of heterogeneous
OTHER WORDS FROM heterogeneous
het·er·o·ge·ne·ous·ly, adverbhet·er·o·ge·ne·ous·ness, nounWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH heterogeneous
heterogeneous , heterogenous, homogeneous, homogenousWords nearby heterogeneous
VOCAB BUILDER
What does heterogeneous mean?
Heterogeneous most generally means consisting of different, distinguishable parts or elements.
The word is used in a more specific way in the context of chemistry to describe a mixture consisting of two or more different substances or the same substance in different phases of matter (such as ice and liquid water).
In either sense, the state of being heterogeneous is heterogeneity.
The general sense of heterogeneous is not as commonly used as the general sense of its opposite, homogeneous—which most often means consisting of parts or elements that are all the same. The word homogenous (which is spelled without a second e and is pronounced differently) can be used to mean the same thing.
The word heterogenous is very similar in spelling but not in meaning. It’s used in the context of biology and medicine to refer to something that originated outside of the body or that is derived from another individual or species (such as a skin graft).
Example: The exhibit features a heterogeneous mix of artifacts from different cultures and eras.
Where does heterogeneous come from?
The first record of heterogeneous comes from around 1620. It comes from the Greek heterogenḗs, from hetero–, meaning “different,” and génos, “kind.”
In general, things that are homogeneous are all the same, and things that are heterogeneous consist of a variety of different parts. The same thing goes in chemistry. Homogenous mixtures are uniform in consistency. But the different elements of a heterogeneous mixture, such as ice floating in water, are often easy to distinguish and even sometimes separate.
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What are some other forms related to heterogeneous?
- heterogeneously (adverb)
- heterogeneousness (noun)
- heterogeneity (noun)
What are some synonyms for heterogeneous?
What are some words that share a root or word element with heterogeneous?
What are some words that often get used in discussing heterogeneous?
What are some words heterogeneous may be commonly confused with?
How is heterogeneous used in real life?
Heterogeneous is used in the context of chemistry, but it’s also commonly used in a general way.
As I was drinking my cookies and cream milkshake, I thought man what a great example of a heterogeneous mixture… I need a vacation.
— Madeline Maynard (@madelineklaire) January 31, 2017
A large, heterogeneous and vibrant ecosystem increases the likelihood that complementary resources are recombined to generate innovations. https://t.co/78EIL29VJO
— INSEAD Knowledge (@INSEADKnowledge) August 28, 2020
.@DARIAHeu has launched a 2020 funding scheme for proposals on "Arts, #Humanities and #COVID19". How will we collect, curate, preserve & interpret the heterogeneous record of the experience of life and work in early 2020? Learn more: https://t.co/nefQN1FIiA
— dhCenter UNIL-EPFL (@dhCenter_) August 28, 2020
Try using heterogeneous!
Which of the following things would NOT be considered a heterogeneous mixture?
A. a bowl of mixed nuts
B. a glass of water
C. a glass of ice water
D. water with sand in it