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

Typing those words as an American in 2026 is overwhelming, even if the purpose here is simply to temporally contextualize this project.

From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026

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

From Barron's • Dec. 4, 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

For years I'd wanted to implement a project to change the way we talk about racial history and contextualize contemporary race issues.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson