contextualize

American  

[kuhn-teks-choo-uh-lahyz] / kənˈtɛks tʃu əˌlaɪz /

especially British, contextualise

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.

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contextualize British  

/ kənˈtɛkstjʊəˌlaɪz /

verb

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

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Other Word Forms

• contextualization noun
• noncontextualized adjective

Etymology

Origin of contextualize

First recorded in 1930–35; contextual + -ize

Example Sentences

Comparing car prices to income can help contextualize how price changes impact families.

From Barron's • Dec. 4, 2025

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

From Salon • Nov. 1, 2025

Set against this backdrop, investors have increasingly been asking how to contextualize Rocket Lab’s valuation, according to Morgan Stanley’s Liwag.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 17, 2025

He died in 1994 at 45 years old from cancer likely related to Agent Orange exposure, and local advocates have worked for years to contextualize his crimes with his service-related mental illness.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2025

We contextualize, filter, draw conclusions, and make inferences, in part, based on someone’s physical attributes.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin