heterogeneous
- 01 C1 Advanced
consisting of many different types of people or things that are not the same.
consisting of diverse or dissimilar constituents; not uniform in character or content.
Simple“The city has a very heterogeneous population with people from all over the world.”
In context“The study focused on a heterogeneous group of participants to ensure the findings were applicable across different social classes and age brackets.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun it describes.
Antonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
describing a mixture where you can see different parts, like oil and water, or solids and liquids mixed together.
consisting of different phases, such as solid, liquid, or gas, or containing substances in different states that do not form a uniform solution.
Simple“Granite is a heterogeneous rock because you can see the different minerals inside it.”
In context“In a heterogeneous catalyst system, the catalyst is in a different phase—usually solid—than the reactants, which are typically liquids or gases.”
UsageCommonly used in chemistry and geology to describe mixtures that are not solutions.
Synonymsnon uniformAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
a computer network that uses different types of hardware, software, or operating systems together.
relating to a network or system comprising different types of equipment, protocols, or operating systems.
Simple“The company uses a heterogeneous network that connects both Windows and Mac computers.”
In context“Managing a heterogeneous computing environment requires specialized software to ensure seamless communication between different hardware architectures.”
Synonymsmixed vendor
“The method is applicable to a wide range of heterogeneous materials—from ceramics and metal ceramics to nanostructured composites.”
“Nevertheless, the authors emphasize that the current evidence base remains heterogeneous and predominantly preclinical, making further rigorous investigation essential before pomegranate-derived products can be confidently recommended for routine veterinary use.”
From Medieval Latin heterogeneus, from Ancient Greek ἑτερογενής (heterogenḗs, “of different kinds”), from ἕτερος (héteros, “other, another, different”) + γένος (génos, “kind”). Compare hetero- and -ous.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.