heterogeneous
[ het-er-uh-jee-nee-uhs, -jeen-yuhs ]
/ ˌhɛt ər əˈdʒi ni əs, -ˈdʒin yəs /
adjective
different in kind; unlike; incongruous.
composed of parts of different kinds; having widely dissimilar elements or constituents: The party was attended by a heterogeneous group of artists, politicians, and social climbers.
Chemistry. (of a mixture) composed of different substances or the same substance in different phases, as solid ice and liquid water.
RELATED WORDS
amalgamate, composite, confused, conglomerate, contrary, different, discordant, discrepant, disparate, dissimilar, divergent, diverse, incongruous, independent, inharmonious, jumbled, mixed, mongrel, mosaic, motley
Nearby words
- heterogamete,
- heterogametic,
- heterogamous,
- heterogamy,
- heterogeneity,
- heterogeneous nuclear rna,
- heterogeneous radiation,
- heterogeneous system,
- heterogenesis,
- heterogenetic
Origin of heterogeneous
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for heterogeneous
heterogeneous
/ (ˌhɛtərəʊˈdʒiːnɪəs) /
adjective
composed of unrelated or differing parts or elements
not of the same kind or type
Word Origin for heterogeneous
C17: from Medieval Latin heterogeneus, from Greek heterogenēs, from hetero- + genos sort
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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heterogeneous
1620s, from Medieval Latin heterogeneus, from Greek heterogenes, from heteros "different" (see hetero-) + genos "kind, gender, race stock" (see genus). Earlier in same sense was heterogeneal (c.1600).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
heterogeneous
[ hĕt′ər-ə-jē′nē-əs, -jēn′yəs ]
adj.
Composed of parts having dissimilar characteristics or properties.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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