senchaînent

Senchaînent is not a standard spelling; the normal form is s'enchaînent, which is the third person plural present tense of the pronominal verb s'enchaîner. The meaning centers on the idea that elements are linked in a sequence or connected in a chain. In use, it describes a progression where events, scenes, or actions follow one another in a continuous flow, rather than occurring in isolation.

Etymology and grammar: s'enchaîner comes from enchaîner (to chain) with the reflexive pronoun se, indicating a linking or linking-like relation among parts of a whole. The reflexive form is commonly used in figurative senses to denote succession or dependency between items. As a pronominal verb, s'enchaîner is intransitive: it does not take a direct object, but it can be followed by adverbs or prepositional phrases such as à la suite, les uns après les autres, or rapidement to describe the pace of the sequence.

Usage and nuance: the expression is frequent in narrative, journalism, and analysis to convey that a sequence unfolds smoothly or coherently. It can apply to scenes in a film or chapters in a book, to arguments in a debate, or to events in a timeline. When used with a transitive form enchaîner (without the reflexive pronoun), one would mean to physically chain or to link together concrete items, while s'enchaîner emphasizes the linkage of parts to form a chain of events or ideas.

See also: enchaîner, s’enchaîner dans différents temps et modes.