context

KON-tehks-t

meaning in plain English

The situation or setting that helps explain why something happens or what it means.

Imagine a picture frame—inside is the story, the context that tells you why the scene matters.

for example

When did you yell at him? Give me the full story so I can understand the context of what happened.

Imagine you walk into a room and see two people arguing. Without knowing what led up to it, you can’t really understand why they’re upset. The context is all the things that happened before that explain the fight.