heterogeneity

/ˌhɛtərəʤɪˈniəti/

Other forms: heterogeneities

Heterogeneity is a word that signifies diversity. A classroom consisting of people from lots of different backgrounds would be considered having the quality of heterogeneity.

The prefix hetero- means "other or different," while the prefix homo- means "the same." Heterogeneity is often used in contrast to homogeneity, which is when two or more people or things are alike. Heterogeneity can also refer to something that is made up of lots of different elements, like a local dialect composed of various languages.

Definitions of heterogeneity

1. noun

   the quality of being diverse and not comparable in kind
   synonyms: heterogeneousness

   antonyms:

   homogeneity

   the quality or state of being similar or of being uniform in composition or structure throughout

   types:

   diverseness, diversity, multifariousness, variety

   noticeable heterogeneity

   biodiversity

   the variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat (or in the world as a whole)

   type of:

   nonuniformity

   the quality of being diverse and interesting