heteronymous

[het-uh-ron-uh-muhs]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a heteronym.

2. having different names, as a pair of correlatives.

   Father and son are heteronymous relatives.

Other Word Forms

• heteronymously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of heteronymous¹

First recorded in 1725–35, heteronymous is from the Late Greek word heterṓnymos having a different name. See heteronym, -ous

Example Sentences

This intelligent dog and assistant teacher often relieved and released the head-master in play hours; besides, most of the virtues could be less well practised by him than by Gustavus upon him, and he kept for that purpose the necessary heteronymous vices ready:--in sleep the school-colleague easily snapped about him at living legs, in his waking hours at those which had been plucked off.

Read more on Project Gutenberg