context
noun
con·text
ˈkän-ˌtekst
1
: the parts of a discourse that surround a word, phrase, or passage and that help to explain its meaning
When you use other words in a sentence to help you learn the meaning of a certain word, you are using context clues.—H. Thompson Fillmer et al.
To really know a word, you must be able to use it in context.
When taken out of context, his comments sound cruel, but he was only joking.
2
: the situation in which something happens : environment, setting
the historical context of the war
… even your suffering … can be seen in the context of what the whole world is going through.—Alice Walker
contextually
adverb
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Context, in Context
In its earliest uses (documented in the 15th century), context meant "the weaving together of words in language." This sense, now obsolete, developed logically from the word's source in Latin, contexere "to weave or join together." Context now most commonly refers to the environment or setting in which something (whether words or events) exists. When we say that something is contextualized, we mean that it is placed in an appropriate setting, one in which it may be properly considered.
Cite this Entry
“Context.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/context. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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