# hetero-

> English word · Prefix

## Definitions
1. Varied, heterogeneous; a set that has variety with respect to the root.
2. Heterocyclic: a cyclic compound with multiple elements in its ring. The non-carbon atoms are known as heteroatoms.
3. A heterogeneous mixture.
4. Across, spanning multiple distinct kinds of the root, different.
5. Straight, heterosexual.
6. Other, by another.
7. Opposite in direction or position.
8. Outside; Synonym of xeno-.
9. Asymmetric in shape.
10. Inconsistent, irregular, or intermittent.
11. Alternating.

## Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἕτερος (héteros, “other, another, different”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/hetero