contextually
gb/kˈɑntˈɛkst͡ʃuəli/ us/kˈɑntˈɛkst͡ʃuəli/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
adverb
formal
C1
relation
1
in relation to the context
by looking at the surrounding situation or words
Usage pattern:
[understand/interpret/analyze] [something] contextually
Common mistake:
Often confused with the adjective contextual (e.g., 'a contextual clue'); contextually is an adverb and modifies a verb/adjective.
Synonyms
in context (More common as a phrase; same idea.)
|
with regard to the context (More explicit and more formal.)
Antonyms
out of context (Not considering the surrounding text or situation.)
|
without context (With no background information considered.)
Collocations
understood contextually
|interpreted contextually
|read contextually
|analyzed contextually
|defined contextually
|evaluated contextually
|considered contextually
|explained contextually
|used contextually
|placed contextually
Themes
language
|education
|communication
Examples
- You need to interpret the quote contextually, not as an isolated sentence.
- The term can only be understood contextually within the debate of the time.
- Teachers encouraged students to read contextually and notice who is speaking.
Learner examples
- Try to understand the word contextually.
- Read the sentence contextually.
adverb
formal
C1
relation
2
depending on the context
in a way that can change in different situations
Usage pattern:
[vary/change/mean] contextually
Common mistake:
Learners may omit needed context and claim a single fixed meaning; contextually often implies meaning or effect varies by situation.
Synonyms
situationally (Emphasizes the situation more than surrounding text.)
|
conditionally (Emphasizes dependence on conditions, not necessarily linguistic context.)
Antonyms
universally (The same in all situations.)
|
independently (Not affected by the surrounding situation or text.)
Collocations
varies contextually
|differs contextually
|shifts contextually
|changes contextually
|means something contextually
|contextually conditioned
|contextually determined
|contextually constrained
|contextually bound
|contextually flexible
Themes
language
|daily_life
|communication
Examples
- The word functions differently contextually in legal writing than in everyday speech.
- Pricing can be adjusted contextually based on demand and location.
- Humor often lands contextually, so the same joke may fail in another setting.
Learner examples
- The meaning changes contextually.
- This rule works differently contextually.
adverb
technical
C2
process
3
using context as input
using information about the situation to decide what to do
Usage pattern:
[adapt/respond/trigger] contextually
Common mistake:
In tech writing, contextually often refers to system inputs (e.g., location/time), not just language context.
Synonyms
adaptively (General adaptation; may not specifically rely on context signals.)
|
dynamically (Emphasizes changing in real time; not necessarily based on context.)
Antonyms
statically (Fixed and not adjusted based on context.)
|
uniformly (The same for everyone and every situation.)
Collocations
adapt contextually
|respond contextually
|contextually triggered
|contextually personalized
|contextually targeted
|contextually aware
|contextually driven
|contextually informed
|contextually delivered
|contextually optimized
Themes
technology
|computing
|data
Examples
- The app surfaces tips contextually when it detects you are near a train station.
- Notifications are delivered contextually to reduce interruptions during meetings.
- The interface adapts contextually to the screen size and orientation.
Learner examples
- The app changes contextually.
- It shows help contextually.
Grammar
Dictionary form
contextually
IPA
GB/kˈɑntˈɛkst͡ʃuəli/
US/kˈɑntˈɛkst͡ʃuəli/
Syllables & stress
con - tex - tu - ally (4 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (con)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: contextually
- Plural: contextuallies
Word family
Forms
contextuallies
noun
Core family
context
noun B1
contextual
adjective B2
Related words
contextualize
verb C1
contextualization
noun C1
Negative and opposite forms
contextless
adjective
decontextualize
verb
Expressions
contextually appropriate
1/kˈɑntˈɛkst͡ʃuəli əpɹˈoʊpɹiɪt/
fixed phrase
formal
suitable for the situation
right for this situation
Examples
- The joke might be funny, but it isn’t contextually appropriate for a memorial service.
- Make sure your examples are contextually appropriate for international readers.
- The translation is grammatically correct but not contextually appropriate.
contextually aware
1/kˈɑntˈɛkst͡ʃuəli əwˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
technical
aware of situation context
it changes based on what is happening around it
Examples
- The keyboard is contextually aware and suggests different words in email than in search.
- We’re building a contextually aware assistant that adapts to your schedule.
- Contextually aware recommendations can reduce the number of irrelevant alerts.
contextually dependent
1/kˈɑntˈɛkst͡ʃuəli dɪpˈɛndənt/
fixed phrase
formal
depends on its context
it can change in different situations
Examples
- The interpretation is contextually dependent, so you can’t apply it to every case.
- Politeness is often contextually dependent across cultures.
- Whether the remark is offensive is contextually dependent.
contextually relevant
1/kˈɑntˈɛkst͡ʃuəli ɹˈɛlɪvənt/
fixed phrase
formal
relevant in the given context
important or useful for this situation
Examples
- Please include only information that is contextually relevant to the claim.
- The link looks random, but it is contextually relevant to the paragraph above.
- Ads should be contextually relevant, not just broadly targeted.
contextually sensitive
1/kˈɑntˈɛkst͡ʃuəli sˈɛnsɪtɪv/
fixed phrase
formal
sensitive to context changes
it depends a lot on the situation
Examples
- Translation choices are contextually sensitive, especially with humor and idioms.
- The topic is contextually sensitive, so the moderator set clear ground rules.
- The model performs best when it has contextually sensitive prompts.
contextually specific
1/kˈɑntˈɛkst͡ʃuəli spɪsˈɪfɪk/
fixed phrase
formal
specific to one context
true only in this situation
Examples
- The advice is contextually specific to small teams and may not scale to large companies.
- Many customs are contextually specific and don’t translate across cultures.
- Her feedback was contextually specific and directly connected to that project.