(Namespace: plural glossary)

A fragment might be variously defined as a headmate who…

• is an insider of a subsystem; or,
• is a smaller part of a higher-order part; or,
• belongs to a system containing a very high number of headmates (sometimes called a “polyfragmented” system, if they are a disordered system); or,
• is unelaborated; or,
• exists only transiently; or,
• manifests exclusively through subtle and/or momentary intrusions; or,
• belongs to a median or mediple system who specifically feels they were “supposed” to be a singlet but were “broken;” or,
• is a little; or,
• is in any other sense considered lacking in identity content or “less than” a “complete” headmate.

“Fragment” and “polyfragmented” are medical terminology. “Polyfragmented” by definition applies only to disordered systems with very high numbers of headmates, and it is definitely appropriation for a non-disordered system to describe themself as polyfragmented. “Fragment” originates from, but is not exclusive to, the context of “polyfragmented,” so it may be seen as appropriation for a non-disordered system to describe any of their own headmates as “fragments.” In any case, unless a headmate self-identifies as a fragment or is medically recognized as a fragment, it may be experienced as highly stigmatizing, if not outright dehumanizing, for someone else to call them a fragment.