Context

Context is a general term which refers to the circumstances and conditions which "surround" an event. Within specific academic disciplines, it has the following meanings:

• In archaeology, the context (physical location) of a discovery can be of major significance. See Stratification.
• In communications and linguistics, context refers to the meaning of a message (such as a sentence), its relationship to other parts of the message (such as a book), the environment in which the communication occurred, and any perceptions which may be associated with the communication.
• In computer science, context refers to the circumstances under which a device is being used, e.g. the current occupation of the user. (see also context awareness)