ENGLISH
REFERENCE

heterogeneous

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˌhɛtɝəˈdʒinjəs// UK //hɛtɹˈəʊdʒənˌiəs// het·ero·ge·neous

adj. made of many different parts or types of things that do not look or act the same.

adj. consisting of diverse or dissimilar constituents; not uniform in structure or composition.


SIMPLE

The city has a heterogeneous population with people from all over the world.

CONTEXTUAL

The research team analyzed a heterogeneous sample of data collected from twelve different countries and various age groups.

COMPLEX

In a heterogeneous mixture, the individual components remain physically separate and can often be distinguished by sight, unlike the uniform appearance of a homogeneous solution.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

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.

Usage

Often used in academic or scientific contexts to describe groups, mixtures, or data sets.

Pitfall

a heterogenous mixturea heterogeneous mixtureLearners often omit the second 'e'; 'heterogenous' is a rarer biological term meaning 'derived from a different species'.

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