homogamy

noun

ho·​mog·​a·​my hō-ˈmä-gə-mē How to pronounce homogamy (audio)
: the mating of like with like
homogamous adjective

Examples of homogamy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In some ways the homogamy is even more striking for minorities. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 7 Jan. 2012 Spousal similarity was not due to convergence or social homogamy... Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2012 Social homogamy -- or the tendency for people to choose a mate from within one's own religious, social, economic and educational surroundings -- played only a small role. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 11 May 2011

Word History

Etymology

German Homogamie, from hom- + -gamie -gamy

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of homogamy was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near homogamy

Cite this Entry

“Homogamy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homogamy. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

homogamy

noun
ho·​mog·​a·​my hō-ˈmäg-ə-mē How to pronounce homogamy (audio)
plural homogamies
: reproduction within an isolated group perpetuating qualities by which it is differentiated from the larger group of which it is a part
broadly : the mating of like with like
homogamous adjective
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