Is "constringence" a word?
I would like to express, in one word, the tendency to concentrate excessively rather than disperse. This is applied in a sentence where I describe a set of data, which has too much focus on one aspect and miss out on other aspects.
For this I use the word "constringences".
The results collected and presented earlier are limited by ambiguities, paradoxes and constringences.
However, it seems some dictionaries do not know constringence, while others do. So is it a word or isn't it?
Out of five dictionaries I can consult, only the Collins English Dictionary reports that word.
[physics] inverse of the dispersive
power of a medium
I would say it's a word, but it is used in a specific, technical context.
The OED says the noun from constringent is constringency. On the other hand, your specialised sense doesn't really fit, as constringent there means 'causing constriction'.
I don't think it's a normal word, but there's no reason not to use it as a specialised term, as long you define it at the first use.