Meanings
comparative more heterogeneous · superlative most heterogeneous · alternative uncommon heterogenous
- Diverse in kind or nature; composed of diverse parts.
He had a large and heterogeneous collection of books.
1 more example
With a vague curiosity I began to trace the outline of some of the heterogeneous impressions, trying meanwhile to curb the flights of macabre fancy which the place and its memories suggested.
1931, H. P. Lovecraft, chapter 6, in The Whisperer in DarknessSynonyms: heterologous
- mathematicsIncommensurable because of different kinds.
- chemistryVisibly consisting of different components.
- computingOf a network comprising different types of computers, potentially with vastly differing memory sizes, processing power and even basic underlying architecture; alternatively, of a data resource with multiple types of formats.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveDiverse in kind or nature; composed of diverse parts.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveconsisting of elements that are not of the same kind or nature
adjectiveoriginating outside the body
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἑτερογενής“of different kinds”
- Medieval Latinheterogeneus
- Englishheterogeneous
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.
More words from Medieval Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian разнороден, хетерогенен
- разнороден (raznoroden)diverse in kind
- хетерогенен (heterogenen)chemistry: visibly consisting of different components
Catalan heterogeni
- heterogenidiverse in kind
Chinese Mandarin 異質 /异质
- 異質 /异质 (yìzhì)diverse in kind
Czech heterogenní, různorodý
- heterogennídiverse in kind
- různorodýdiverse in kind
Dutch heterogeen, heterogene
- heterogeendiverse in kind
- heterogenediverse in kind
Finnish epäyhtenäinen, sekalainen
- epäyhtenäinendiverse in kind
- sekalainendiverse in kind
- heterogeeninendiverse in kind
- heterogeeninenmathematics: incommensurable
- heterogeeninenphysics: having more than one phase
- heterogeeninenchemistry: visibly consisting of different components
- heterogeeninencomputing: comprising different types of computers or formats
French hétérogène
- hétérogènediverse in kind
German heterogen
- heterogendiverse in kind
Greek ετερογενής
- ετερογενής (eterogenís)diverse in kind
Hungarian heterogén
- heterogéndiverse in kind
Indonesian heterogen
- heterogendiverse in kind
Irish ilchineálach, ilghnéitheach
- ilchineálachdiverse in kind
- ilghnéitheachdiverse in kind
Italian eterogeneo
- eterogeneodiverse in kind
Latin heterogeneus
- heterogeneusdiverse in kind
Norwegian Bokmål heterogen
- heterogendiverse in kind
Persian ناهملوناء
- ناهملوناءcomputing: comprising different types of computers or formats
Polish heterogeniczny, niejednorodny
- heterogenicznydiverse in kind
- niejednorodnydiverse in kind
Portuguese heterogêneo
- heterogêneodiverse in kind
Romanian eterogen, neuniform
- eterogendiverse in kind
- neuniformdiverse in kind
- eterogenphysics: having more than one phase
Russian неодноро́дный, гетероге́нный
- неодноро́дный (neodnoródnyj)diverse in kind
- гетероге́нный (geterogénnyj)diverse in kind
Scottish Gaelic iol-ghnèitheach
- iol-ghnèitheachdiverse in kind
Spanish heterogéneo, heterogéneo
- heterogéneodiverse in kind
- heterogéneomathematics: incommensurable
- heterogéneophysics: having more than one phase
- heterogéneochemistry: visibly consisting of different components
- heterogéneocomputing: comprising different types of computers or formats
Swedish heterogen
- heterogendiverse in kind
Tagalog dam-uriin, dam-uriin
- dam-uriinphysics: having more than one phase
- dam-uriinchemistry: visibly consisting of different components
Cite this entry
heterogeneous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heterogeneous
“heterogeneous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heterogeneous. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heterogeneous,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heterogeneous.
Source: heterogeneous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.