context

[kon-tekst] /ˈkɒn tɛkst/

noun

the parts of a written or spoken statement that precede or follow a specific word or passage, usually influencing its meaning or effect:

You have misinterpreted my remark because you took it out of context.

the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc.

Mycology. the fleshy fibrous body of the pileus in mushrooms.

Origin

1375-1425; late Middle English < Latin contextus a joining together, scheme, structure, equivalent to contex(ere) to join by weaving (con- con- + texere to plait, weave) + -tus suffix of v. action; cf. text

Related forms

contextless, adjective

Synonyms

2. background, milieu, climate.

Examples from the web for context

But it must still be clear from the context what the relative clause might be.
Sentences of this type, isolated from their context, may seem to be in need of rewriting.
Thus, ellipses were frequent, and almost any word that could be supplied from the context might be omitted.
Children can remember facts but are less good at recalling the context in which those facts are relevant.
The speaker's meaning may depend on various factors including context, tone of voice, local custom and historical usage.
They're deeply, heavily reliant on context to imbue them with meaning.
Where differences in these skills do exist, the causes may lie in the social context.
In another context, there might have been less of an outcry.
Comparative effectiveness research should be considered in the holistic context of the care cycle.
In context, the remark wasn't so bad-he was talking about helping people, whatever he called them.

British Dictionary definitions for context

context

/ˈkɒntɛkst/

noun

the parts of a piece of writing, speech, etc, that precede and follow a word or passage and contribute to its full meaning: it is unfair to quote out of context

the conditions and circumstances that are relevant to an event, fact, etc

Word Origin

C15: from Latin contextus a putting together, from contexere to interweave, from com- together + texere to weave, braid

Word Origin and History for context

early 15c., from Latin contextus "a joining together," originally past participle of contexere "to weave together," from com- "together" (see com-) + texere "to weave" (see texture).

context in Technology

That which surrounds, and gives meaning to, something else. grammar
In a grammar it refers to the symbols before and after the symbol under consideration. If the syntax of a symbol is independent of its context, the grammar is said to be context-free.