contextual (adj.)

early 15c., "a composition, a chronicle, the entire text of a writing," from Latin contextus "a joining together," originally past participle of contexere "to weave together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + texere "to weave, to make" (from PIE root *teks- "to weave," also "to fabricate").

Meaning "the parts of a writing or discourse which precede or follow, and are directly connected with, some other part referred to or quoted" is from 1560s.

chiefly British English spelling of contextualize (see contextual); for suffix, see -ize. Related: Contextualised; contextualising; contextualisation.

"study or treat something in isolation from its context," by 1971, from de- "do the opposite of" + contextualize "put into context" (see contextual). Related: Decontextualized; decontextualizing; decontextualization.