Relating to or depending on the circumstances or setting in which something occurs. Describes information, meaning, or relevance that can only be understood within its specific situation or environment.
From Latin 'contextus' meaning 'woven together,' from 'con' (together) and 'textus' (woven, from 'texere' to weave). The modern sense developed from the idea that meaning is woven together with surrounding circumstances, emerging in English during the 19th century.
The word 'contextual' literally means 'woven together,' which perfectly captures how meaning emerges from the interweaving of words, circumstances, and background knowledge. Like a tapestry, understanding requires seeing both individual threads and the overall pattern they create together.
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