recontextualize

R1E1C3O1N1T1E1X8T1U1A1L1I1Z10E1

verb

To set in a new context.

Scrabble 33

Meanings

verbrecontextualize (third-person singular simple present recontextualizes, present participle recontextualizing, simple past and past participle recontextualized)

present singular third person recontextualizes · participle present recontextualizing · participle past recontextualized · past recontextualized

  1. transitiveTo set in a new context.

    And the web—particularly social media—provides countless opportunities for intertextuality, chances to recontextualize, retweet, repost, riposte.

    2023 February 3, Pia Ceres, “Quoting Taylor Swift Lyrics Is an Actual Linguistic Thing”, in Wired, San Francisco, C.A.: Condé Nast Publications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 May 2023
    1 more example

    When we kackle like your uncle Sal at "Yey Whazzup Make Up" by Pssing Stones, the sublime recontextualized Rolling Stones' video (by StS, the same genius that brought us the "Shreds" Youtube^([sic]) clips) that in its endgame brings us the hyper-reality of a bunch of absurd middle-aged rock dinosaurs chump-changing us with a cardboard-cut-out-cartoon-rebellion with even less fiber and nutrition than that Cinnamon Toast Crunch enema I mentioned earlier, we inch closer to a resolve of the problems brought by your sides aching of convulsive laughter upon repeated viewing of the Hitler lip where he finds out about Oasis canceling their tour.

    2012, Johan Kugelberg, Brad Pitt's Dog: Essays on Fame, Death, Punk

Origin

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinre-
  3. Old Frenchre-
  4. Middle Englishre-
  5. Englishre-
  6. Englishcontext
  7. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  9. Englishcontextual
  10. Englishcontextualize
  11. Englishrecontextualize

From re- + contextualize.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Greek αναπλαισιώνω
  • αναπλαισιώνω (anaplaisióno)Translations
Polish rekontekstualizować
  • rekontekstualizowaćTranslations
Portuguese recontextualizar
  • recontextualizarTranslations
Spanish recontextualizar
  • recontextualizarTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

recontextualize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recontextualize

MLA

“recontextualize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recontextualize. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “recontextualize,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recontextualize.

Source: recontextualize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.