context
noun
con·text
ˈkän-ˌtekst 
1
: the parts of a discourse that surround a word or passage and can throw light on its meaning
2
: the interrelated conditions in which something exists or occurs : environment, setting
the historical context of the war
contextually
adverb
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Context, in Context
In its earliest uses (documented in the 15th century), context meant "the weaving together of words in language." This sense, now obsolete, developed logically from the word's source in Latin, contexere "to weave or join together." Context now most commonly refers to the environment or setting in which something (whether words or events) exists. When we say that something is contextualized, we mean that it is placed in an appropriate setting, one in which it may be properly considered.
Synonyms
Examples of context in a Sentence
… it was Dickens who first used the word 'detective' in a literary context …
—
John Mullan, How Novels Work, 2006
Entrepreneurship and civil freedoms depend on a context of civil order, predictability, and individual security.
—Susan L. Woodward, Balkan Tragedy, 1995
… the old building, its original acre, inside its high outer wall, was immune to change, out of context and out of time.
—Harriet Doerr, The Tiger in the Grass, 1995
We need to look at the event within the larger context of world history.
The book puts these events in their proper historical and social contexts.
We need to consider these events in context.
John Mullan, How Novels Work, 2006
Entrepreneurship and civil freedoms depend on a context of civil order, predictability, and individual security.
—Susan L. Woodward, Balkan Tragedy, 1995
… the old building, its original acre, inside its high outer wall, was immune to change, out of context and out of time.
—Harriet Doerr, The Tiger in the Grass, 1995
We need to look at the event within the larger context of world history.
The book puts these events in their proper historical and social contexts.
We need to consider these events in context.
Recent Examples on the Web
In the context of project management, this underscores the importance of risk management.
—Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2024
In the context of Herbert’s Dune, the multi-millennia-long conspiracy in human engineering necessary to yield a messianic hero of startling apocalyptic power sounds supercool, giving Paul a Chosen One stature of virtually unparalleled magnitude.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024
But that agenda has got to be placed within the overall context of American society today.
—NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
The company anticipates using or redeploying cash resources to support its business within the context of prevailing market conditions.
—Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for context 
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Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2024
In the context of Herbert’s Dune, the multi-millennia-long conspiracy in human engineering necessary to yield a messianic hero of startling apocalyptic power sounds supercool, giving Paul a Chosen One stature of virtually unparalleled magnitude.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024
But that agenda has got to be placed within the overall context of American society today.
—NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
The company anticipates using or redeploying cash resources to support its business within the context of prevailing market conditions.
—Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for context
Dictionary Entries Near context
Cite this Entry
“Context.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/context. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
context
noun
con·text
ˈkän-ˌtekst
1
: the parts of something written or spoken that are near a certain word or group of words and that help to explain its meaning
2
: the circumstances in which something exists or occurs
contextually
adverb
-ē
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