heterogeneity

noun het·ero·ge·ne·i·ty \ ˌhe-tə-rō-jə-ˈnē-ə-tē , ˌhe-trō- \

Updated on: 5 Apr 2018

Definition of heterogeneity

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

cultural heterogeneity

Examples of heterogeneity in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of heterogeneity from the Web

The faces and cultures that get portrayed on screen and recognized by awarding institutions are not reflective of the vibrant heterogeneity of America.

— refinery29.com, "As Vanity Fair's Cover Girl, Lena Waithe Is Right Where She Needs To Be," 22 Mar. 2018
But an unavoidable lesson of the last few years, from both inside and outside the U.S., is that cultural heterogeneity and egalitarianism often cut against each other.

— derek thompson, The Atlantic, "The Doom Loop of Modern Liberalism," 24 Oct. 2017
One source of the Ruby men’s murderous hatred of the women is their racial heterogeneity—their utter lack of racial purity.

— nell irvin painter, New Republic, "Toni Morrison’s Radical Vision of Otherness," 11 Oct. 2017
Other usages zero in on an element of heterogeneity that may or may not be monstrous.

— katy waldman, Slate Magazine, "How Franken- Lurched Its Way Into Our Lexicon," 6 Jan. 2017
The reason is simple: The heterogeneity of a group’s members is unrelated to its cohesiveness.

— alexander b. downes, Washington Post, "Would transgender troops harm military effectiveness? Here’s what the research says," 1 Aug. 2017
Research papers estimate the prevalence is anywhere from 0.5 to 6 percent thanks to the wide variation in how it's defined and the heterogeneity in study designs.

— christy brissette, chicagotribune.com, "Want a verdict on gluten-free diets? You won't find it in a study.," 5 June 2017
HERROD: The future, as the past has always been, is heterogeneity.

— WSJ, "Three VCs on What’s Next in Technology," 6 Mar. 2017
Lastly, Republicans should establish themselves as the party of heterogeneity, opposed to one-size-fits-all morality.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "President Obama Just Showed Us How to Fix the Republican Party," 14 Oct. 2016

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.