heterophily

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noun

Tendency of individuals to collect in diverse groups.

Opposite
homophily
Scrabble 22
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Meanings

nounheterophily (uncountable)
  1. uncountablehuman sciencesTendency of individuals to collect in diverse groups.

    In their review of the impact of heterophily on group process outcomes, Milliken and Martins (1996) acknowledge that past research conflicts on whether heterophily inhibits or facilitates positive group outcomes.

    2002, Mikayla Hughes, The Role of Competence, Perceived Heterophily, and Satisfaction in the Context of University-community Collaborative Relationships

    Antonyms: homophily

Synonyms & antonyms

nounTendency of individuals to collect in diverse groups.

Opposite
homophily

Origin

From hetero- + -phily.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

heterophily. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heterophily

MLA

“heterophily.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heterophily. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heterophily,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heterophily.

Source: heterophily on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.