heterozygosity
noun
het·ero·zy·gos·i·ty
ˌhe-tə-rō-(ˌ)zī-ˈgä-sə-tē 
: the state of being heterozygous
Examples of heterozygosity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On average, modern individuals showed a 9% reduction in genome-wide heterozygosity compared to historical samples.
—
Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Clonal polymorphism and high heterozygosity in the celibate genome of the Amazon molly
Cell Research.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024
Some DNA tests — such as the Embark Purebred DNA Test — can show indications of inbreeding through a test called genetic diversity (aka, heterozygosity).
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 3 May 2023
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Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Clonal polymorphism and high heterozygosity in the celibate genome of the Amazon molly
Cell Research.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024
Some DNA tests — such as the Embark Purebred DNA Test — can show indications of inbreeding through a test called genetic diversity (aka, heterozygosity).
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 3 May 2023
Cite this Entry
“Heterozygosity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heterozygosity. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
heterozygosity
noun
het·ero·zy·gos·i·ty
ˌhet-ə-rō-(ˌ)zī-ˈgäs-ət-ē
: the state of being heterozygous
Medical Definition
heterozygosity
noun
het·ero·zy·gos·i·ty
-ˈgäs-ət-ē
plural heterozygosities
: the state of being heterozygous
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