context-independent
|con-text-in-de-pen-dent|
🇺🇸
/ˌkɑn.tɛkst ɪn.dɪˈpɛndənt/
🇬🇧
/ˌkɒn.tɛkst ɪn.dɪˈpɛndənt/
not relying on context
Etymology
'context-independent' originates from Modern English, specifically combining the noun 'context' and the adjective 'independent'. 'Context' comes (via French and Latin) from Latin 'contexere' meaning 'to weave together', and 'independent' comes from Latin 'independens' meaning 'not hanging from' or 'not dependent'.
'context' came into English via Medieval/Modern French 'contexte' from Latin 'contextus' (from 'contexere'); 'independent' came via Old/Middle French and Middle English from Latin 'independens'. The compound 'context-independent' is a modern English formation that combines those two elements to form a descriptive adjective.
Initially the separate words referred to 'the surrounding linked material' ('context') and 'not dependent' ('independent'); the compound later developed to express the combined idea 'not dependent on context' and is used especially in technical and academic language.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not depending on surrounding circumstances or background; valid or applicable regardless of context.
The test was designed to be context-independent so results could be compared across groups.
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Adjective 2
(Technical) In fields like linguistics, logic, or computer science: describing a rule, data item, or method that does not rely on surrounding elements or situational information.
In linguistics, a context-independent rule applies regardless of surrounding words.
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Last updated: 2025/11/25 19:48