homogamy

[ hoh-mog-uh-mee ]

noun

1. the state of being homogamous.
2. interbreeding of individuals with like characteristics.

homogamy

/ hɒˈmɒɡəmɪ /

noun

1. a condition in which all the flowers of an inflorescence are either of the same sex or hermaphrodite Compare heterogamy
2. the maturation of the anthers and stigmas of a flower at the same time, ensuring self-pollination Compare dichogamy

Derived Forms

• hoˈmogamous, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of homogamy¹

First recorded in 1870–75; homo- + -gamy

Example Sentences

We wanna go down to the llano to see if they practice homogamy, but dunno how to get there.

From Washington Post

That urge is called homogamy, a marriage between two individuals who are extremely similar.

From Time

Blogger Steve Randy Waldman has that assortative mating—he calls it, more succinctly, homogamy—also helps explain the rise in single motherhood at the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum.

From BusinessWeek

After civil rights, that expectation mellowed into something called “homogamy,” meaning women marrying men of equal money and education.

From Slate

Studies do show, unsurprisingly, that religious homogamy—the extent to which married couples share the same religious beliefs and participate jointly in religious practices—is reliably, and inversely, associated with relationship discord.

From Slate