context

[kon-tekst]

noun

1. the parts of a written or spoken statement that precede or follow a specific word or passage, usually influencing its meaning or effect.

   You have misinterpreted my remark because you took it out of context.

2. the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc.

   Synonyms: climate, milieu, background

3. Mycology.,  the fleshy fibrous body of the pileus in mushrooms.

context

/ ˈkɒntɛkst /

noun

1. the parts of a piece of writing, speech, etc, that precede and follow a word or passage and contribute to its full meaning

   it is unfair to quote out of context

2. the conditions and circumstances that are relevant to an event, fact, etc

Other Word Forms

• contextless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of context¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin contextus “a joining together, scheme, structure,” past participle of contexere “to join by weaving,” equivalent to con- con- + texere “to plait, weave”; text

Word History and Origins

Origin of context¹

C15: from Latin contextus a putting together, from contexere to interweave, from com- together + texere to weave, braid

Example Sentences

HTS’s seizing and, almost a year in, holding of power therefore raise questions that have significance beyond the immediate Syrian context.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Sheffield Hallam says these internal communications need to be seen in context and do not represent university policy.

Read more on BBC

Galda said the email was taken out of context and is contradicted by other messages.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Political context matters: Vance’s comment reflects the influence of American evangelical and Christian nationalist politics.

Read more on Salon

The batting issues are also not without wider context.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• background 
• situation 
• text 

When To Use

What is context?

Context is a noun that means the parts of a statement that immediately precede or follow a specific section of the statement and help explain that section. The context of a specific text clarifies the meaning of that text, as in When the politician was asked to apologize for lying, he claimed that he had been quoted out of context and that he wasn’t actually lying. Context is also the conditions related to an event or situation that helps a person understand the event or situation. Conditions can include surroundings (where something took place), circumstances (what else was happening at the time), and background (such as events that happened before). For example, the context of a historical event, such as what else was happening at the time and how people understood their environment, can help us better understand the event itself.One common expression that uses word context is context clues. Context clues are hints within a piece of writing that help us understand something unfamiliar, such as a word. For example, if you came across the word ethereal in a text, context clues could help you figure out that it means "delicate" and "beautiful." Another common expression that includes the word context is out of context. This expression is used to explain that the reason people understood a statement or text incorrectly was because the statement was removed from its surrounding text, which distorted its meaning. Example: Understanding the historical and scientific contexts of the Romantic period are essential to understanding Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.”