heterogeneous

[ het-er-uh-jee-nee-uhs, -jeen-yuhs ]
/ ˌhɛt ər əˈdʒi ni əs, -ˈdʒin yəs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR heterogeneous ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Origin of heterogeneous

1615–25; < Medieval Latin heterogeneus < Greek heterogenḗs. See hetero-, gene, -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM heterogeneous

het·er·o·ge·ne·ous·ly, adverb het·er·o·ge·ne·ous·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH heterogeneous

heterogeneous heterogenous homogeneous homogenous

Words nearby heterogeneous

heterogamete, heterogametic, heterogamous, heterogamy, heterogeneity, heterogeneous, heterogeneous nuclear rna, heterogeneous radiation, heterogeneous system, heterogenesis, heterogenetic

Words related to heterogeneous

amalgamate, composite, confused, conglomerate, contrary, different, discordant, discrepant, disparate, dissimilar, divergent, diverse, incongruous, independent, inharmonious, jumbled, mixed, mongrel, mosaic, motley

Example sentences from the Web for heterogeneous

British Dictionary definitions for heterogeneous

heterogeneous
/ (ˌhɛtərəʊˈdʒiːnɪəs) /

adjective

composed of unrelated or differing parts or elements
not of the same kind or type
chem of, composed of, or concerned with two or more different phases Compare homogeneous

Derived forms of heterogeneous

heterogeneity (ˌhɛtərəʊdʒɪˈniːɪtɪ) or heterogeneousness, noun heterogeneously, adverb

Word Origin for heterogeneous

C17: from Medieval Latin heterogeneus, from Greek heterogenēs, from hetero- + genos sort

Medical definitions for heterogeneous

heterogeneous
[ hĕt′ər-ə-jē′nē-əs, -jēn′yəs ]

adj.

Composed of parts having dissimilar characteristics or properties.