het·ero·ga·met·ic
ˌhe-tə-rō-gə-ˈme-tik 
-ˈmē-
-ˈmē-
: forming two kinds of gametes of which one produces male offspring and the other female offspring
the human male is heterogametic
plural -es
: the production by one sex of a species of two types of gametes of which one is destined to produce a male and the other a female
Examples of heterogametic in a Sentence
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Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 28 Apr. 2011
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Adjective
In humans females are homogametic, XX, and males are heterogametic, XY.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 28 Apr. 2011
Cite this Entry
“Heterogametic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heterogametic. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
heterogametic
adjective
het·ero·ga·met·ic
-gə-ˈmet-ik
-ˈmēt-
-ˈmēt-
: forming two kinds of gametes of which one determines offspring of one sex and the other determines offspring of the opposite sex
the human male is heterogametic
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