enentesis

Enentesis is a term used in speculative discourse to describe the insertion of a new element into an existing system with the aim of altering its function, structure, or meaning. It is not an established term in any single discipline, so its precise definition varies by context and author. The word is a neologism that evokes insertion and integration, without a canonical etymology.

In linguistics and discourse studies, enentesis could refer to inserting interpretive units—such as a flashback, aside, or parenthetical element—into a text to reframe meaning. In information theory and system dynamics, it might denote the addition of an external subsystem that changes a network's behavior through new feedback or redundancy. In cultural studies, it could describe how external influences become incorporated into a tradition or practice. In speculative biology or fiction, enentesis may denote the deliberate integration of foreign material into a regulatory network of an organism.

Because the term lacks standard definition, usage is metaphorical and context-dependent. Critics argue that without clear scope it risks ambiguity, while proponents see value in a concise label for a broad class of insertion phenomena.

Examples: in a novel, enentesis might insert a retrospective scene into the timeline to realign reader understanding. In a thought experiment on gene regulation, it could describe inserting a regulatory unit that shifts expression patterns.

See also: insertion, incorporation, implantation, integration.