contextual.

Dependent on or concerned with the surrounding circumstances that help determine meaning or significance.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• contextual interpretation
• contextual factor

On the page

Contextual interpretation changed when the earlier correspondence became available.

A contextual factor explained part of the difference without determining every response.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Relational adjective; no ordinary degree comparison except where a meaningful degree is explicitly intended. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: definition, institutional analysis, scope assessment, comparison. Disciplines: academic writing, institutional analysis, conceptual explanation. Commonness: moderately common.