heterogeneous
Adjective
Medium difficulty
What does “heterogeneous” mean?
adjective.diverse in character or content.
SAT Usage
this term often appears in passages related to science, sociology, or cultural studies, emphasizing the variety and complexity within a group or system. It suggests a mixture of different elements, highlighting the importance of diversity rather than uniformity, and is distinct from "homogeneous," which implies a uniform or similar nature.
Common Confusions
Heterogeneous implies a mixture of diverse elements, while homogeneous usually suggests a uniformity or similarity among components.
Example Sentences
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He had a large and heterogeneous collection of books.
Word Parts: How to Remember “heterogeneous”
Break “heterogeneous” into its parts: hetero- (different) + -gen- (birth, origin, kind). Knowing roots like these helps you decode unfamiliar SAT vocabulary.
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Prefix:
hetero-different (Greek) -
Root:
-gen-birth, origin, kind (Greek)