adj ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective

1. 1
   Having many, but not all properties in common.

   "A polythetic taxon is one where the constituent organisms share a large number of characteristics."

Example

More examples

"Most language families are polythetic; that is to say, not entirely the same."

Etymology

From poly- + Ancient Greek θέσις (thésis, “arrangement”) + -ic.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.