contextualize

especially British, con·tex·tu·al·ise

[kuhn-teks-choo-uh-lahyz]

verb (used with object)

contextualized, contextualizing 

1. to put (a linguistic element, an action, etc.) in a context, especially one that is characteristic or appropriate, as for purposes of study.

contextualize

/ kənˈtɛkstjʊəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to state the social, grammatical, or other context of; put into context

Other Word Forms

• contextualization noun
• noncontextualized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of contextualize¹

First recorded in 1930–35; contextual + -ize

Example Sentences

Short films contextualize the seeming randomness and brevity of human existence.

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The human data annotator team at xAI plays a key role in teaching Grok to understand the world by labeling, contextualizing, and categorizing raw data used to train the chatbot.

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Experts said it is important to contextualize this moment within American history, but with an awareness of the modern factors shaping it in unique ways.

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Worthwhile documentaries crystallize a point in time in a way that contextualizes current circumstances.

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To better contextualize the GOP’s authoritarian redistricting strategy, I asked historian Matthew Dallek, who is the author of “Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right,’ for his insights.

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