Homogeneous vs. homogenous

Watch out: if you ever find yourself writing homogenous, you probably mean homogeneous.

According to the New Oxford American Dictionary:

Homogeneous: “of the same kind, alike … consisting of parts all of the same kind.”

Homogenous: “an old fashioned term for homologous,” which means “having the same relation, relative position, or structure.”

This is one of those distinctions you never notice until you become an editor.

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3 Responses to Homogeneous vs. homogenous

  1. Chris Berg says:

    Ben, I am an editor, and I had no idea.

  2. Took me a while before I came across this, too. I caught another homogenous today.

  3. Pingback: Sabertext Editorial Consulting » Homogeneous vs. Homogenous

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