- Today's Word
Heterogeneous
het-uh-roh-JEE-nee-uhs
Definition
- (adjective) Consisting of diverse or varied parts; not uniform.
Example
The committee was composed of a heterogeneous group of experts from every field.
Fun Fact
From Greek hetero (different) and genos (kind), “heterogeneous” often describes diverse populations, mixtures, or systems. It’s a key term in science (heterogeneous solutions), social studies (heterogeneous societies), and engineering. The opposite—”homogeneous”—suggests uniformity, while heterogeneity implies richness, complexity, and often greater resilience.
(noun) A departure from what is normal, expected, or typical; an unusual occurrence or deviation.
The sudden snowstorm in late May was a striking aberration — meteorologists hadn’t seen anything like it in the region for over a century.
Aberration comes from the Latin aberrare, meaning “to wander away from,” built from ab- (“away from”) and errare (“to wander” or “to err”). It entered English in the 16th century, initially used in astronomical contexts to describe the apparent displacement of stars caused by Earth’s motion. By the 18th century it had broadened into general use, describing any significant deviation from an established norm.