contextualize

verb

con·​tex·​tu·​al·​ize kən-ˈteks-chə-wə-ˌlīz How to pronounce contextualize (audio)
-chə-ˌlīz,
-chü-ə-
contextualized; contextualizing

transitive verb

: to place (something, such as a word or activity) in a context
When the rebellion is historically contextualized, it becomes clear that there were many factors that contributed to it.
contextualization noun

Examples of contextualize in a Sentence

When the rebellion is historically contextualized, it becomes clear that there were many factors contributing to it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Creams aren’t just left on display; they’re contextualized within decades of research. Carol Rh Malasig, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025 To contextualize Henry, Herzog makes the most of time spent in Namibia, where Boyes has gone to find a crack team of master trackers from the Ju/Hoansi San Bushmen in the Kalahari, one of the oldest cultures on Earth whose language includes clicking. Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2025 The book contextualizes this expanse of violence and mystery with declassified documents, trial transcripts, police records, and hours of interviews with hundreds of figures. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025 There is much to reenact, to explain and unravel and contextualize, in a legal saga that began on Nov. 2, 2007, the morning Kercher’s body was discovered, and had yet to be fully resolved as late as this year. Judy Berman, Time, 20 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for contextualize

Word History

Etymology

contextual + -ize

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of contextualize was in 1934

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Contextualize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contextualize. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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