In simple language, context means the setting of an event. You can think of context as all the information you need to know to truly understand something. For example, when you watch a movie from the very start, you learn about the names of the characters, where the movie is set, and what the plot line is.

Context clues are hints within a piece of writing that help us understand something unfamiliar, such as a word. For example, if you came across the word ethereal in a text, context clues could help you figure out that it means “delicate” and “beautiful.” Another common expression that includes the word context is out of context.