heterospecific

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adjective

Of or belonging to a different species.

OriginEnglish specific ← Old French specifique ← Ancient Greek ἕτερος (héteros) →
Scrabble 26
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Meanings

adjectiveheterospecific (comparative more heterospecific, superlative most heterospecific)

comparative more heterospecific · superlative most heterospecific

  1. systematicsOf or belonging to a different species.
nounheterospecific (plural heterospecifics)

plural heterospecifics

  1. An organism belonging to a different species to another.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*sem-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*sḿ̥teros
  3. Proto-Hellenic*hə́teros
  4. Ancient Greekἕτερος (héteros)
  5. Englishhetero-
  6. Old Frenchspecifique
  7. Englishspecific
  8. Englishheterospecific

From hetero- + specific.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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