heterogeneous

adjective

het·​ero·​ge·​neous ˌhe-tə-rə-ˈjēn-yəs 

ˌhe-trə-,

-ˈjē-nē-əs

: consisting of dissimilar or diverse ingredients or constituents : mixed

an ethnically heterogeneous population

heterogeneously adverb

heterogeneousness noun

Synonyms

• assorted
• eclectic
• indiscriminate
• kitchen-sink
• magpie
• miscellaneous
• mixed
• motley
• patchwork
• piebald
• promiscuous
• raggle-taggle
• ragtag
• varied

Examples of heterogeneous in a Sentence

the seating in the hall was a heterogeneous collection of old school desk chairs, wood and metal folding chairs, and even a few plush theater seats

Recent Examples on the Web

Large companies often have a heterogeneous IT environment where different regions and divisions use different ERP and supply chain applications. —Steve Banker, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

Shanghai has officially unveiled its first heterogeneous humanoid robot training center, marking a significant accomplishment in China's robotics development. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 14 Feb. 2025

Take the word diverse for example, which up until 5 minutes ago meant how heterogeneous a group of people is. —Evan Clark, WWD, 3 Feb. 2025

Over time, the adequacy of these labels has further eroded as Asian Americans and Latino/as have become even more heterogeneous. —Jane Hong / Made By History, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin heterogeneus (borrowed from Greek heterogenḗs "of different kinds," from hetero- hetero- + -genēs, adjective derivative of génos "ancestry, race, class, kind") + -ous — more at kin entry 1

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

heterogeneous

adjective

het·​er·​o·​ge·​neous

ˌhet-ə-rə-ˈjē-nē-əs,

-nyəs

: differing in kind : consisting of dissimilar parts : mixed

a heterogeneous population

heterogeneously adverb

heterogeneousness noun

Medical Definition

heterogeneous

adjective

het·​ero·​ge·​neous ˌhet-ə-rə-ˈjē-nē-əs, ˌhe-trə-, -nyəs 

: not uniform in structure or composition

tumors which have a heterogeneous composition by reason of structure and presence of necrosis

—Year Book of Endocrinology

heterogeneously adverb