context

English

Etymology

From Latin context(us).

Pronunciation

Noun

context (countable and uncountable, plural contexts)

  2. The surroundings, circumstances, environment, background or settings that determine, specify, or clarify the meaning of an event or other occurrence.
    Synonyms: frame, framework, background, backdrop, setting, purlieus, milieu
    —In what context did your attack on him happen? —We had a pretty tense relationship at the time, and when he insulted me I snapped.
    • 2012 September 7, Phil McNulty, “Moldova 0-5 England”, in BBC Sport‎[1], archived from the original on 12 January 2016:
      The display and result must be placed in the context that was it was against a side that looked every bit their Fifa world ranking of 141 - but England completed the job with efficiency to record their biggest away win in 19 years.
  4. (linguistics) The text in which a word or passage appears and which helps ascertain its meaning.
    Coordinate terms: subtext, paratext, peritext, epitext
    Without context, I can't tell if dish refers to a plate, or to the food served thereon.
  6. (archaeology) The surroundings and environment in which an artifact is found and which may provide important clues about the artifact's function and/or cultural meaning.
  8. (mycology) The trama or flesh of a mushroom.
  10. (logic) For a formula: a finite set of variables, which set contains all the free variables in the given formula.
  12. (programming) The data (register contents, program counter value, etc.) needed to switch to another thread of execution.

Quotations

  • For quotations using this term, see Citations:context.

Antonyms

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

text in which a word appears

See also

Verb

context (third-person singular simple present contexts, present participle contexting, simple past and past participle contexted)

  1. (obsolete) To knit or bind together; to unite closely.
    • 1638, Richard Younge, The Drunkard's Character: Or, a True Drunkard with Such Sinnes as Raigne in Him:
      The whole worlds frame, which is contexted onely by commerce and contracts.
    • 1623, Owen Feltham, Resolves: Divine, Moral, Political:
      If the Subiect bee Historie, or contexted Fable, then I hold it better put in Prose, or Blanks: for ordinarie discourse neuer shewes so well in Meeter

Adjective

context (comparative more context, superlative most context)

  1. (obsolete) Knit or woven together; close; firm.
    • 1541?, Robert Copland (translator?), Guydon's Questionary Chirurgical, translation of 1533, Guy de Chauliac, La questionaire des cirugiens at barbiers
      The skynne is composed & context and woven with thredes and vaynes.
    • 1662, Robert Boyle, New Experiments Physico-mechanical, Touching the Spring of the Air, and its Effects, page 73:
      And though he could describe how such a string may be context, yet our Explication will have this advantage in point of probability above his, ...
    • 1711-12, William Derham, Physico-theology: Or, A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God, from His Works of Creation (3rd edition, corrected, 1714, page 110)
      the coats, without, are context and callous, firm and strong.

References

Catalan

Etymology

    Learned borrowing from Latin contextus.

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    context m (plural contexts or contextos)

    1. context

    Further reading

    Dutch

    Etymology

    Borrowed from Middle French contexte or Latin contextus.

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ˈkɔn.tɛkst/
    • Audio:(file)
    • Hyphenation: con‧text

    Noun

    context m (plural contexten, no diminutive)

    1. context

    Derived terms

    Descendants

    • Afrikaans: konteks
    • → Indonesian: konteks

    Romanian

    Etymology

    Etymology tree
    Proto-Indo-European *ḱe?
    Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm
    Proto-Italic *kom
    Proto-Italic *kom-
    Latin con-
    Proto-Indo-European *tek-
    Proto-Indo-European *-sti
    Proto-Indo-European *téksti
    Proto-Italic *teksō
    Latin texō
    Latin contexō
    Proto-Indo-European *-tus
    Proto-Italic *-tus
    Latin -tus
    Latin contextuslbor.
    French contextebor.
    Romanian context

      Borrowed from French contexte.

      Noun

      context n (plural contexte)

      1. context

      Declension

      singular plural
      indefinite definite indefinite definite
      nominative-accusative context contextul contexte contextele
      genitive-dative context contextului contexte contextelor
      vocative contextule contextelor
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