context-free

adjective

con·​text-free ˈkän-ˌtekst-ˈfrē How to pronounce context-free (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a grammar or language based on rules that describe a change in a string without reference to elements not in the string
also : being such a rule

Examples of context-free in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Last night my colleague Kylie Robison broke the news that X (formerly Twitter) plans to transform news article links shared on the platform into context-free images. Alexandra Sternlicht, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2023 The show has always existed in a pre-nostalgic haze, the vicious realities of life in the Roy family preceded by the fragmented opening credit sequence that turns their lives into snapshots from a context-free family album. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'context-free.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of context-free was in 1964

Dictionary Entries Near context-free

Cite this Entry

“Context-free.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/context-free. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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