Standard Lemma guide

polymorphous

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

Having, or assuming, a variety of forms, characters, or styles

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Having, or occurring in, several distinct forms

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

Examples

  • 1913, R. Chodat in Popular Science Monthly Volume 82 Janauay 1913, A Grain of Wheat In order to establish itself in any locality a plant must hold its own against competitors which, masters of the soil from time immemorial, have been selected to fit the soil and climate. Moreover, emmer is not cultivated anywhere in Palestine. This wild wheat is furthermore a different plant from any known in cultivation, a polymorphous race, no doubt, but a distinct one.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Crystallizing in two or more different forms; polymorphic

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

relating to the occurrence of more than one kind of individual (independent of sexual differences) in an interbreeding population

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a polymorphic species

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: polymorphic

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

relating to the crystallization of a compound in two or more different forms

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • polymorphous crystallization

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: polymorphic

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

having or occurring in several distinct forms

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • man is both polymorphic and polytypic
  • a polymorphous god

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: polymorphic

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From New Latin polymorphus, from Ancient Greek πολύμορφος (polúmorphos, “multiform, manifold”), from πολυ- (polu-, “many, much”) + μορφή (morphḗ, “form, shape”). By surface analysis, poly- + -morphous.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bengali: বহুরূপী (bohurupi) — Having, or assuming, a variety of forms, characters, or styles
  • Finnish: monipuolinen — Having, or assuming, a variety of forms, characters, or styles
  • Finnish: monimuotoinen — Having, or assuming, a variety of forms, characters, or styles
  • Polish: polimorficzny — Having, or assuming, a variety of forms, characters, or styles
  • Finnish: polymorfinen — Having, or occurring in, several distinct forms
  • French: polymorphe — Having, or occurring in, several distinct forms
  • Italian: polimorfo — Having, or occurring in, several distinct forms
  • Polish: polimorficzny — Having, or occurring in, several distinct forms
  • Portuguese: polimorfo — Having, or occurring in, several distinct forms
  • Spanish: polimorfo — Having, or occurring in, several distinct forms
  • Finnish: monimuotoinen — Crystallizing in two or more different forms; polymorphic
  • Irish: ilchruthach — Crystallizing in two or more different forms; polymorphic
  • Irish: polamorfach — Crystallizing in two or more different forms; polymorphic
  • Polish: polimorficzny — Crystallizing in two or more different forms; polymorphic