homophily

American  

[huh-mof-uh-lee] / həˈmɒf ə li /

noun

1. the tendency to form strong social connections with people who share one’s defining characteristics, as age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, personal beliefs, etc..

   political homophily on social media.

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Other Word Forms

• homophilious adjective

Etymology

Origin of homophily

First recorded in 1950–55; homo- ( def. ) + -phily ( def. )

Example Sentences

But homophily is not the only driver of this segregation.

From Scientific American • Apr. 19, 2023

The two women of Carlene Bauer’s glittering novel “Girls They Write Songs About” define homophily.

From New York Times • Jun. 26, 2022

The recruiters, doubtless subconsciously, were influenced by homophily.

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2021

Online groups confirm the power of homophily – the tendency of individuals to associate and bond with others of similar ilk.

From The Guardian • Oct. 29, 2017

A social science concept called homophily tells us that people tend to be friends with people like themselves.

From Slate • Oct. 7, 2014