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Definition

Interpretive false neighbor: canonical definition

Definition of an interpretive false neighbor as a concept that appears close but is not equivalent within doctrine or governance.

CollectionDefinition
TypeDefinition
Version0.1-proposed
Stabilization2026-07-06
Published2026-07-06
Updated2026-07-06

Evidence layer

Probative surfaces brought into scope by this page

This page does more than point to governance files. It is also anchored to surfaces that make observation, traceability, fidelity, and audit more reconstructible. Their order below makes the minimal evidence chain explicit.

  1. 01
    Canon and scopeDefinitions canon
  2. 02
    Response authorizationQ-Layer: response legitimacy
Canonical foundation#01

Definitions canon

/canon.md

Opposable base for identity, scope, roles, and negations that must survive synthesis.

Makes provable
The reference corpus against which fidelity can be evaluated.
Does not prove
Neither that a system already consults it nor that an observed response stays faithful to it.
Use when
Before any observation, test, audit, or correction.
Legitimacy layer#02

Q-Layer: response legitimacy

/response-legitimacy.md

Surface that explains when to answer, when to suspend, and when to switch to legitimate non-response.

Makes provable
The legitimacy regime to apply before treating an output as receivable.
Does not prove
Neither that a given response actually followed this regime nor that an agent applied it at runtime.
Use when
When a page deals with authority, non-response, execution, or restraint.

Interpretive false neighbor

An interpretive false neighbor is a term, page, offer, source, metric or doctrine that appears close to another element, but whose fusion would produce a false representation.

The false neighbor is not necessarily a lexical error. It may be genuinely close in semantic space. The problem appears when that proximity is treated as equivalence, causality or authorization to infer.

Risk examples

  • Reading llms.txt as full AI governance.
  • Reading citability as interpretive fidelity.
  • Reading AI visibility as recommendation.
  • Reading causal context as proof of service.
  • Reading an intended consequence as a result guarantee.

Rule

When an interpretive false neighbor is identified, the response must distinguish the two elements before comparing them. Proximity may be mentioned. Equivalence must not be inferred.