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

The MFA assembled 14 of these, contextualized by self-portraits, Japanese prints, works by artists Van Gogh admired, and paintings by Paul Gauguin, who joined his friend in the south toward the end of 1888.

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What you can see at the Deitch show, running through Jan. 17, is an artist contextualizing the people he loves within art history, while preserving their legacies for the record.

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Citizens are citing executive actions, federal deployments and enforcement orders to contextualize the warning.

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“You have to contextualize….‘This is how many mammograms that translates into,’ ” he said.

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Yang received the Vantage Award, “honoring an artist or scholar who has helped to contextualize and challenge dominant narratives around cinema.”

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