If you describe something as ambiguous, you mean that it is unclear or confusing because it can be understood in multiple ways.
When you correlate two things, you compare, associate, or equate them together in some way.
If there is a dichotomy between two things, there is a division of great difference or opposition between them.
A situation or thing that is discordant does not fit in with other things; therefore, it is disagreeable, strange, or unpleasant.
Things that are disparate are clearly different from each other and belong to different groups or classes.
When there is a disparity between two things, they are not of equal status; therefore, they are different or unlike in some way.
Dissonance is an unpleasant situation of opposition in which ideas or actions are not in agreement or harmony; dissonance also refers to a harsh combination of sounds.
Distinctive qualities set people or things apart from everyone or everything else—they are what make people or things different or unique.
A diverse group is made up of various and different people or things.
Something that is divisive is likely to cause arguments between people.
An echelon is one level of status or rank in an organization.
An eclectic assortment of things or people comes from many varied sources; additionally, it usually includes the best of those sources.
Ecumenical activities and ideas encourage different religions or congregations to work and worship together in order to unite them in friendship.
If you exhibit equanimity, you demonstrate a calm mental state—without showing upset or annoyance—when you deal with a difficult situation.
When people equivocate, they avoid making a clear statement; they are deliberately vague in order to avoid giving a direct answer to a question.
Heterodox beliefs, ideas, or practices are different from accepted or official ones.
A heterogeneous grouping is made up of many differing or unlike parts.
Something humdrum is dull, boring, or tiresome.
Something that is immutable is always the same and cannot be changed.
Something that is incongruous is strange when considered along with its group because it seems very different from the other things in its group.
An inconsistency is something that does not quite fit or disagrees somehow with the rest of the members of its group.
An innovation is something new that is created or is a novel process for doing something.
Two irreconcilable opinions or points of view are so opposed to each other that it is not possible to accept both of them or reach a settlement between them.
A monochrome painting comprises different shades of only one color or is done in black and white.
An organization or system that is a monolith is extremely large; additionally, it is unwilling or very slow to change or adopt something new.
Something that is multifarious is made up of many kinds of different things.
An ornate object is heavily or excessively decorated with complicated shapes and patterns.
If an object oscillates, it moves repeatedly from one point to another and then back again; if you oscillate between two moods or attitudes, you keep changing from one to the other.
A smorgasbord is a wide variety of things, generally but not always pertaining to a sizable buffet.
If you are steadfast, you have a firm belief in your actions or opinions and refuse to give up or change them because you are certain that you are doing the right thing.
Something that is unadorned is not made more attractive with ornament or decoration.
A variant form of something differs from its normal state because it has changed in some way.
Something that is variegated has various tones or colors; it can also mean filled with variety.
If you waver, you cannot decide between two things because you have serious doubts about which choice is better.
Adj.
homogeneous
hoh-muh-JEE-nee-uhs
Context
Rachel thought that the “popular crowd” at school looked and acted alike; they seemed homogeneous or almost identical. This popular group of girls wore the same kind of clothing and fixed their hair in the same, homogeneous style. They even spoke in a similar, homogeneous tone of voice that seemed to end every sentence they spoke with a question. With her many different hairstyles and thrift-store, vintage clothing that she had redesigned, Rachel was glad not to match the homogeneous crowd which dressed and acted in such a highly predictable fashion.
Quiz:Try again!
What would be considered a homogeneous bunch of flowers?
The flowers in the bunch are all the same kind and are of a similar color.
The bunch contains the ten best-selling types of flowers that people buy during the holidays.
The bunch consists of different types of flowers all grown in the same region.
Harmonious with Google If one types in certain keywords on Google, one will notice that the search results will be homogeneous to or harmonious with search results on Bing.
Examples
Across the various _Archaeidae_ species of Madagascar, Wood has observed a staggering degree of physical diversity. Curiously, this is not the case with related families of South Africa and Australia—those spiders all tend to be fairly homogeneous.
—
Smithsonian Magazine
Duyk perked up when Weiss said he had a line on an unusually homogeneous population of 62 million people in Anhui province, a region isolated by geography and poverty for 2,000 years. . . . Genetic deviations that may cause medical disorders are much easier to identify in a large DNA sample from a relatively uniform gene pool.
—
The Washington Post
"We’ve lost so much history," Hinman said. "But I think it’s important to remember the legacies of families like the Howells. It makes a community more interesting when you see the comparison of the old and new, rather than homogeneous buildings that all look the same."
—
Reno Gazette Journal
The homogeneous crowd crystallized for her a glaring issue. The big thinkers of tech say A.I. is the future. . . . But it is being built in a way that replicates the biases of the almost entirely male, predominantly white work force making it.
—
The New York Times
When parts of a whole “resemble” the “same kind, type, or class” as other parts, they are said to be homogeneous.
Word Theater
Being John Malkovich The people at this restaurant are homogeneous.
The panel shows a small video clip of either the word in actual use or a scene that represents the meaning of a word. This not only breaks up the monotony of studying words but also provides another avenue to strengthen word meaning. Enjoy!
Word Constellation
Click for an interactive map of this word
Related Words
correlate ·
equanimity ·
humdrum ·
immutable ·
monochrome+ ·
monolith ·
steadfast ·
unadorned ·
ambiguous ·
dichotomy ·
discordant ·
disparate ·
disparity+ ·
dissonance ·
distinctive+ ·
diverse+ ·
divisive ·
echelon ·
eclectic ·
ecumenical ·
equivocate ·
heterodox ·
heterogeneous+ ·
incongruous ·
inconsistency+ ·
innovation ·
irreconcilable ·
multifarious ·
ornate ·
oscillate ·
smorgasbord+ ·
variant+ ·
variegated ·
waver ·
Similar sense
Opposite sense
Word Variants
homogeneity
n
→
the state of being similar in quality; sameness
The section lists important variants and alternate definitions of the headword. Knowing variants will often help you both remember and understand the word. Not all variants are listed - only the ones we think that are important for you to know.
