adjective
- different in kind; unlike; incongruous.
- composed of parts of different kinds; having widely dissimilar elements or constituents: The party was attended by a heterogeneous group of artists, politicians, and social climbers.
- Chemistry. (of a mixture) composed of different substances or the same substance in different phases, as solid ice and liquid water.
adjective
- composed of unrelated or differing parts or elements
- not of the same kind or type
- chem of, composed of, or concerned with two or more different phasesCompare homogeneous
1620s, from Medieval Latin heterogeneus, from Greek heterogenes, from heteros “different” (see hetero-) + genos “kind, gender, race stock” (see genus). Earlier in same sense was heterogeneal (c.1600).
adj.
- Composed of parts having dissimilar characteristics or properties.