decontextualize

American  

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

verb (used with object)

decontextualized, decontextualizing

1. to remove (a linguistic element, an action, etc.) from a context.

   decontextualized works of art displayed in museums.

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Other Word Forms

• decontextualization
  noun

Etymology

Origin of decontextualize

First recorded in 1975–80; de- + contextualize

Example Sentences

“They can also decontextualize dishes, leading to a warped understanding in the public opinion of what exactly a dish is.”

From Salon • Feb. 24, 2024

The framing is yet another example of how anti-vaxxers repeatedly decontextualize information to fit an anti-vaccine agenda.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2023

In order to address this broader problem, Brandt deliberately set out, in “Inherit the Dust,” to decontextualize his wildlife photographs.

From The New Yorker • Mar. 6, 2016

Second, online comparisons like this decontextualize the problem of harassment, as though a connection to what happens offline is trivial or inconsequential.

From Time • Sep. 9, 2014

For stars such as Armstrong and Jones, the attraction of such projects must be to disrupt expected narratives, to decontextualize themselves.

From Slate • Feb. 24, 2014