homogeneity

[ hoh-muh-juh-nee-i-tee, hom-uh- ]

noun

1. composition from like parts, elements, or characteristics; state or quality of being homogeneous.

homogeneity

1. Cultural, social, biological, or other similarities within a group. ( Compare heterogeneity .)

Other Words From

• nonho·mo·ge·nei·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of homogeneity¹

First recorded in 1615–25; from Medieval Latin homogeneitās, from homogene(us) homogeneous + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

Technology developers could become gatekeepers for food innovation, if the limits of their machines lead to homogeneity in cuisines and creativity, similar to the weirdly similar feel of AI art images across different apps.

From Salon

The journalist and speechwriter had expected his family’s experiences to be aligned, that there would be a, “homogeneity to grieving.”

From Los Angeles Times

The authors acknowledge that this demographic homogeneity may somewhat skew the results.

From Salon

Second, in a discipline whose enthusiasm for homogeneity is reflected in its pre-2017 name, synchronized swimming, one of the athletes in the pool is very much not like the others.

From New York Times

Schoenbrun knows that part of that alienation came from growing up in the suburbs of Westchester County, New York, “perfectly manicured” spaces of homogeneity.

From Los Angeles Times

More About Homogeneity

What does homogeneity mean?

Homogeneity is the state or quality of being homogeneous—consisting of parts or elements that are all the same.

Something described as homogeneous is uniform in nature or character throughout. Homogeneous can also be used to describe multiple things that are all essentially alike or of the same kind. It’s especially used to refer to the state of a society, culture, or situation that lacks variety or diversity. The word is often used in the context of criticism that implies that such things are biased, boring, or bland.

In the context of chemistry, homogeneous is used to describe a mixture that is uniform in structure or composition. Homogeneity can be used to refer to the state of such a mixture.

The general sense of homogeneous can be used interchangeably with the word homogenous (which is spelled without a second e and is pronounced differently). When used in this general way, homogenous is more commonly used than homogeneous. Homogeneity can be used in reference to either word.

The opposite of homogeneity is heterogeneity, which is the state of being heterogeneous—consisting of different, distinguishable parts or elements.

Example: The homogeneity of this suburb is extreme—even the houses all look the same.

Where does homogeneity come from?

The first records of the word homogeneity come from around the 1620s. It ultimately comes from the Greek homogenḗs, meaning “of the same kind,” from homo–, “same,” and génos, “kind.” The suffix -ity is used to form nouns.

Homogeneity is a state in which everything is the same kind of thing. This can apply to objects, people, and abstract things like culture and society. It’s especially used to refer to the state of a group that lacks diversity—such as a board of directors that consists entirely of white men.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of homogeneity?

• nonhomogeneity (noun)

What are some synonyms for homogeneity?

• homogeneousness
• uniformity
• sameness

What are some words that share a root or word element with homogeneity? 

• homogeneous
• homogenous
• homogenize
• homophone
• homonym
• heterogeneity
• genus

What are some words that often get used in discussing homogeneity?

• same
• culture
• society
• alike
• similar
• identical
• variety
• diversity

What are some words homogeneity may be commonly confused with?

• heterogeneity

How is homogeneity used in real life?

The word homogeneity is most commonly used in the context of something that lacks variety or diversity.

Time to update zoning to address the mismatch between the limited types of housing allowed in most parts of our cities and the real housing needs that exist. The Suburban Lifestyle Dream was built on faulty ideas: homogeneity, exclusion, subsidized roads. https://t.co/92lQGfpDNg

— Jennifer Keesmaat (@jen_keesmaat) August 25, 2020

The author of 'The Sprawl' traveled to suburbs throughout the U.S. to try and understand how they went from being perceived as utopian enclaves to bland wastelands. He soon discovered that hackneyed ideas about the homogeneity of suburbia don’t hold up. https://t.co/CBrmpg02Rx

— Bloomberg CityLab (@CityLab) August 29, 2020

The vast majority of the 25 Fortune 1,000 companies based in #Connecticut have a CEO who is a white man. That is not a new trend, but a number of those companies have recently become more willing to talk publicly about the homogeneity in their executive levels.

— Paul Schott (@paulschott) September 1, 2020

 

 

Try using homogeneity!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of homogeneity?

A. diversity
B. uniformity
C. homogeneousness
D. sameness