homogamy

English

Etymology

From homo- +‎ -gamy.

Pronunciation
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

homogamy (uncountable)

  1. (botany) Fertilization of a flower by pollen from the same plant.
  2. (biology) Breeding between similar individuals.
    Synonym: inbreeding
    Antonym: heterogamy
  3. (sociology) Marriage or other union between similar people, or people of the same sex.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:intermarriage
    Antonyms: heterogamy; see also Thesaurus:intermarriage
    • 2018 December 21, Stuart Jeffries, “Germany’s Hidden Crisis by Oliver Nachtwey review – social decline in the heart of Europe”, in The Guardian‎:
      Surgeons no longer pursue nurses as they did when the former were most likely men and the latter women; now they go for anaesthetists or other surgeons. In one sense homogamy is desirable, because it means women are less dependent on status-asymmetric marriages; in another, it’s dismal because it constitutes a form of social closure […]
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