heterogeneity

noun
het·​ero·​ge·​ne·​i·​ty | \ ˌhe-tə-rō-jə-ˈnē-ə-tē How to pronounce heterogeneity (audio) , ˌhe-trō-\

Definition of heterogeneity

: the quality or state of consisting of dissimilar or diverse elements : the quality or state of being heterogeneous cultural heterogeneity

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Examples of heterogeneity in a Sentence

the cultural heterogeneity of its residents is a point of pride for the city

Recent Examples on the Web

The most highly ranked sites on the internet are not necessarily the best sites, and furthermore human heterogeneity is becoming an increasingly important theme in medicine. Tyler Cowen, The Denver Post, "Guest Commentary: Internet 101 should be a required class," 7 July 2019 This challenge, and many others that stymy both physicians treating cancer and scientists trying to understand it, can be traced to cancer’s inherent heterogeneity. Quanta Magazine, "Tracking the Evolution of Cancer, Cell by Cell," 13 Nov. 2013 Limitations on the rate of diffusion of viral particles and interferon molecules, as well as physical barriers in the body’s tissues, easily create spatial heterogeneity, thus allowing for the evolution of innate immune suppression. Quanta Magazine, "Viruses Have a Secret, Altruistic Social Life," 15 Apr. 2019 Here was the Mahler (born a Bohemian!) one often reads about yet seldom hears, in which a world of competing, even conflicting, musical gestures reflects the vast heterogeneity of the composer’s Habsburg homeland. David Mermelstein, WSJ, "The Czech Philharmonic’s Global Ambitions," 31 Oct. 2018 Right now, in the face of America’s reactionary narrow-mindedness, the work’s insistent cross-cultural heterogeneity feels joyfully subversive. Christopher Knight, latimes.com, "'Made in L.A. 2018': Why the Hammer biennial is the right show for disturbing times," 5 June 2018 Multiculturalism and racial ambiguity as a show of heterogeneity are at the center of the current roster of young adult shows. refinery29.com, "What Happened To All Of The Black Teen Shows?," 3 July 2018 Since the 1980s, the group’s writings have emphasized the heterogeneity of Caribbean history, the fundamental contiguity of life and literature with ecology, and a tradition of oral storytelling that has become the touchstone of Chamoiseau’s oeuvre. New York Times, "Fleeing a Caribbean Plantation Into a Mythic Wilderness," 27 June 2018 In China, even among the Han majority there’s a very high degree of linguistic heterogeneity. Nikita Lalwani, Washington Post, "When is nationalism a good thing? When it unites an ethnically diverse citizenry," 26 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heterogeneity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of heterogeneity

1641, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for heterogeneity

see heterogeneous

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More Definitions for heterogeneity

heterogeneity

noun
het·​ero·​ge·​ne·​ity | \ ˌhet-ə-rō-jə-ˈnē-ət-ē, ˌhe-trō- How to pronounce heterogeneity (audio) \
plural heterogeneities

Medical Definition of heterogeneity

: the quality or state of being heterogeneous