heterogenous
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of heterogenous
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.
Vocabulary lists containing heterogenous
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
However, a consistent duty-free regime across such a heterogenous continent could result in uneven gains, Johnston notes.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
As Dr. Hauschild said in a letter, the trial’s heterogenous population is what he sees every day in his clinic, and RP1 benefited all groups of patients.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025
The problem, of course, is that the public is enormous, heterogenous, and messy; there is no single judge or 12-person jury.
From Slate • Jun. 30, 2025
While MDD is a heterogenous disorder with no one fits all solution, it is important to emphasize that if a treatment or medication is working for you, then they are lifesaving.
From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2024
Promptly on the chime of eight, Grant marched into the library, and found his father, pale but steady, seated at the secretary, busily examining a heterogenous mass of papers.
From Golden Days for Boys and Girls Volume XIII, No. 51: November 12, 1892 by Elverson, James
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
