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 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.

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Salon

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.

From Salon

Just don’t expect anything about this elemental contest to be explained to you, or even contextualized.

From Los Angeles Times