heterogenous

American  

[het-uh-roj-uh-nuhs] / ˌhɛt əˈrɒdʒ ə nəs /

adjective

Biology, Pathology.

1. having its source or origin outside the organism; having a foreign origin.

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heterogenous British  

/ ˌhɛtəˈrɒdʒɪnəs /

adjective

1. biology med not originating within the body; of foreign origin Compare autogenous

   a heterogenous skin graft

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Etymology

Origin of heterogenous

First recorded in 1685–95; hetero- + -genous

Example Sentences

As Dr. Hauschild said in a letter, the trial’s heterogenous population is what he sees every day in his clinic, and RP1 benefited all groups of patients.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

However, there are other potential explanations for the discrepancy: Concentrates are often made from homogenous oils that are easier to analyze, whereas plants are inherently heterogenous and harder to test.

From Science Daily • Oct. 23, 2025

The problem, of course, is that the public is enormous, heterogenous, and messy; there is no single judge or 12-person jury.

From Slate • Jun. 30, 2025

This is aligned with something else you talk about, that people don't understand the heterogenous nature of being old.

From Salon • Jul. 23, 2023

Such is the effect of time, and communication among nations, that the mixture with an heterogenous language has not only an influence upon roots, but most frequently ends by modifying and denaturalizing grammatical forms.

From Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 2 by Humboldt, Alexander von