Interpenetrations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of multiple entities or elements passing into one another in a way that creates overlaps or interactions
2. A phenomenon where different substances or forces mingle and influence each other
3. The process by which organizations, ideas, or cultures interlace and affect each other's characteristics

Etymology: "Penetrate" comes from Latin "penetrare," meaning to enter into or get inside, and it is built on "penitus," meaning inward or within. Roman writers used it for anything that reached deep into a space, so the core idea is getting to the inside of something. Adding the prefix "inter-," from Latin "inter" meaning between or among, turns a one-way intrusion into something mutual. Things pass into one another rather than simply entering a single container. The plural "interpenetrations" is used when several separate instances of this mutual passing are being counted.

Synonyms: interactions, overlaps