Standard Lemma guide

heterological

adj · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Of a word, not describing itself.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • The words ultrashort and onomatopoeia are heterological: ultrashort might be called short but is not an ultrashort word, and onomatopoeia is not an onomatopoeic word.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: autological

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not true of itself.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: autological

3

adj

Meaning 3

Not of shared ancestral origin.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Qualifier: tissues; or body parts; tissues; or body parts

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: heterologous

Antonyms: homologous, homological

4

adj

Meaning 4

Supporting or attracted to otherness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Having or supporting multiple interpretations.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

not corresponding in structure or evolutionary origin

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: heterologous, heterologic

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἕτερος (héteros, “different”) + λόγος (lógos, “word”), by surface analysis, heterology + -ical.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 不自同的 — of an adjective, not describing itself
  • Chinese Mandarin: 自逆的 — of an adjective, not describing itself
  • Chinese Mandarin: 逆逻辑的 — of an adjective, not describing itself
  • Chinese Mandarin: 与自身不符的 — of an adjective, not describing itself
  • French: hétérologique — of an adjective, not describing itself
  • Portuguese: heterológico — of an adjective, not describing itself