First Known Use: circa 1568
Dictionary
context
noun con·text \ˈkän-ˌtekst\
: the words that are used with a certain word or phrase and that help to explain its meaning
: the situation in which something happens : the group of conditions that exist where and when something happens
Full Definition of CONTEXT
1
: the parts of a discourse that surround a word or passage and can throw light on its meaning
2
: the interrelated conditions in which something exists or occurs : environment, setting <the historical context of the war>
— con·text·less \-ˌtekst-ləs\ adjective
— con·tex·tu·al \kän-ˈteks-chə-wəl, kən-, -chəl, -chü-əl\ adjective
— con·tex·tu·al·ly adverb
See context defined for English-language learners
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Examples of CONTEXT
- … it was Dickens who first used the word ‘detective’ in a literary context … —John Mullan, How Novels Work, 2006
- Entrepreneurship and civil freedoms depend on a context of civil order, predictability, and individual security. —Susan L. Woodward, Balkan Tragedy, 1995
- … the old building, its original acre, inside its high outer wall, was immune to change, out of context and out of time. —Harriet Doerr, The Tiger in the Grass, 1995
- [+]more
Origin of CONTEXT
Middle English, weaving together of words, from Latin contextus connection of words, coherence, from contexere to weave together, from com- + texere to weave — more at technical
Related to CONTEXT
- Synonyms
- ambient, atmosphere, climate, clime, environment, contexture, environs, medium, milieu, mise-en-scène, setting, surround, surroundings, terrain
Other Literature Terms
CONTEXT Defined for Kids
context
noun con·text \ˈkän-ˌtekst\
Definition of CONTEXT for Kids
1
: the words that are used with a certain word in writing or speaking <Without the context, I don't know what he meant by the word “odd.”>
2
: the situation in which something happens <The book considers her actions in their historical context.>
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Next Word in the Dictionary: context–freePrevious Word in the Dictionary: conteurAll Words Near: context
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