Merriam Webster defines context as the interrelated conditions in which something exists or occurs — such as the environment or setting. Another definition for the word context is also “parts of a discourse that surround a word or passage that can throw light on its meaning.”
As we all know, context is supremely important in our lives. Many of the decisions we make, the actions we take, and things we say are highly dependent on context. Context serves as a shorthand to denote all the (complex) background information and insights that we store in our heads as it relates to the situation at hand. Human brains are very effective in acquiring, storing, and using context. For example, reading the word “car” instantly and unconsciously activates all the information (i.e., mental models) you have in your head about cars — about different makes and models, outer shapes, interiors, etc. If you parse the word “wash” after the car, another mental model is activated about the information your brain has learned about washing cars. A completely different set of mental models are activated when you read the words “wash sale." The meaning of the word wash is highly dependent on the context.
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