heterotopia

American  

[het-er-uh-toh-pee-uh] / ˌhɛt ər əˈtoʊ pi ə /

Also heterotopy

noun

Pathology.

1. misplacement or displacement, as of an organ.

2. the formation of tissue in a part where its presence is abnormal.

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heterotopia British  

/ ˌhɛtəˈrɒtəpɪ, ˌhɛtərəʊˈtəʊpɪə /

noun

1. abnormal displacement of a bodily organ or part

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Other Word Forms

• heterotopic adjective
• heterotopous adjective

Etymology

Origin of heterotopia

From New Latin; hetero-, top-, -ia

Example Sentences

That’s the case with “Heterotopia,” whose title track is a reference to Foucault’s idea of otherness.

From New York Times

In academia, philosopher Michel Foucault called it a “heterotopia”, but most of us might think of it as a bit of a headfuck, a space or place in time that has more meaning or relationship to another space than it might first appear.

From The Guardian