Heterogeneous
ˌhɛtərəˈdʒiːniəs
Definitions
Consisting of dissimilar elements or parts; varied in character or content.
ˌhɛtərəˈdʒiːniəs
Composed of unlike parts; varied.
The population of the city is heterogeneous, with people from many different countries.
💡 Simply: Imagine a pizza with lots of different toppings! Pepperoni, mushrooms, olives – all kinds of things mixed together. That’s like something heterogeneous—it has a bunch of different parts.
👶 For kids: When something is heterogeneous, it means it has many different kinds of things in it. Like a box of toys with cars, dolls, and blocks!
More Examples
The research team was made up of individuals with heterogeneous backgrounds and expertise.
A heterogeneous dataset can pose challenges for data analysis.
How It's Used
"A heterogeneous mixture contains substances that are not uniformly distributed."
"A heterogeneous society is characterized by a diversity of cultures and backgrounds."
From Greek *heteros* (different) and *genos* (kind, race), reflecting the concept of dissimilarity or variety.
Used in scientific and philosophical writing since the 17th century to describe things composed of dissimilar parts or elements.
Memory tip
Think of "hetero" (different) combined with "gene" (kind) - different kinds combined.
Practice
Word Origin
Root: *heteros*