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

What kind of activism will be useful in those contexts?

From Los Angeles Times

But when put in context of what his entire administration has been saying in the wake of Kirk’s death, the comments take on a much more ominous cast.

From Salon

"In the car, the context wasn't there about what else had happened in terms of the pit stop sequencing. So it was decided there was another factor for the reasoning in swapping."

From BBC

Footage circulating on social media of besieged vehicles on the Dakar-Bamako corridor had been taken out of context, he insisted.

From BBC

“What may be a term of endearment in one context can be perceived differently in another.”

From Los Angeles Times

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.”