homogenous

IPA/həˈmɒdʒ.ɪn.əs/
KK[həmˈɑdʒənəs]IPA/həˈmɑːdʒ.ɪn.əs/

homogenous — adjective

  • homogenouspositive
  • more homogenouscomparative
  • most homogenoussuperlative

1. describing a group, mixture, or population in which all the parts or members are

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describing a group, mixture, or population in which all the parts or members are of the same type or nature — for example, a neighbourhood where every family shares a similar income level, or a scientific sample made up of identical cells.

例句

The student body at Westbrook Academy was surprisingly homogenous, with nearly everyone from the same middle-class background.

collocation: homogenous + group noun (student body, population, sample)

The biology professor prepared a homogenous cell culture by growing identical cells in a controlled nutrient solution.

domain: biology (cell culture, tissue sample)

同義詞
  • uniform

    emphasizes consistency without variation; more common in everyday language

  • consistent

    focuses on stability across examples rather than identical composition

  • homogeneous

    the standard spelling of the same word; preferred in formal writing

反義詞
  • diverse

    emphasizes variety of types rather than sameness

  • heterogeneous

    the formal antonym, describing a mix of different elements

文法句型

be + homogenous

homogenous + noun

用法筆記

This spelling is a non-standard variant of 'homogeneous.' Although common in scientific and informal writing, most style guides and formal contexts prefer the longer form 'homogeneous.' The two words also differ in pronunciation: homogenous /həˈmɒdʒɪnəs/ vs homogeneous /ˌhɒməˈdʒiːniəs/.

常見錯誤

❌The research sample was homogenous, but I wrote homogeneous in my report and was corrected.
✅The research sample was homogeneous, but I wrote homogenous and was corrected.
💡In academic writing, 'homogeneous' is the standard spelling; 'homogenous' may be flagged as an error.

2. (in technical fields such as biology, chemistry, or anatomy) describing structur

2.形容詞C1
釋義

(in technical fields such as biology, chemistry, or anatomy) describing structures, organs, or substances that share a common evolutionary origin or a corresponding structural relationship — for example, the forelimb bones of a bat, a whale, and a human, which all evolved from the same ancestral skeletal pattern.

例句

The anatomy lecture showed that forelimbs of bats, whales, and humans are homogenous structures from a shared ancestor.

domain: biology (anatomy, evolutionary structures)

Hamza's research team identified a homogenous gene sequence present in five related fish species, suggesting a conserved evolutionary pathway.

同義詞
  • homologous

    the standard technical term for shared evolutionary origin; preferred in scientific writing

  • corresponding

    broader and less technical, used for similar structural roles

反義詞
  • heterologous

    describes structures or genes with different evolutionary origins; used in biology

文法句型

homogenous + noun

be + homogenous + to/with

用法筆記

This sense is restricted to specialised technical writing. In everyday academic English, 'homologous' is far more common for describing shared evolutionary origin. 'Homogenous' in this sense may be considered a non-standard shortening of 'homologous.' Distinguish from sense 1 (SAME KIND), which refers to a mixture being uniform, not to structural correspondence.

常見錯誤

❌The team members were homogenous in their political views' (when meaning they shared an origin).
✅The team members were homogeneous in their political views
💡For groups of people, use sense 1; sense 2 only applies to biological or chemical structures.