'contextualize' originates from the word 'context,' which comes from Latin 'contextus,' meaning 'a joining together.' The suffix '-ize' is used to form verbs indicating a process or action.

'contextus' transformed into the English word 'context,' and eventually, the verb 'contextualize' was formed by adding the suffix '-ize.'

Initially, it meant 'to place in context,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.