need more context

USAGE SUMMARY

"need more context" is correct and usable in written English.
This phrase can be used when you want to specify that you need additional information in order to make a judgement or statement. For example, you might say "I can't answer your question without more context; can you explain the situation in more detail?".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

Perhaps your college faces particular challenges, therefore the results need more context.

The Guardian

Sometimes, these pieces need more context and that's where your research comes in.

The Guardian

GPS is great for getting from one point to another, but if you need more context for understanding your surroundings, it's fairly useless.

The New York Times - Books

The book's brief sections allow you to home in quickly on the solutions you need right away--or take a deeper dive if you need more context.

Harvard Business Review

The book's brief sections allow you to home in on the solutions you need quickly--or take a deeper dive if you need more context.

Harvard Business Review

Mr. Ciesielski says he believes that shareholders need more context when it comes to pay practices — and that rule makers should improve pay reports.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

Interesting, but needed more context to dive in.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

To my mind, the quotation, if it were to be included, needed more context and attribution.

The New York Times

"In France, anything to do with the war needs more context, explanation, in order to avoid controversy".

The New York Times - Arts

One interviewee noted, "In France, anything to do with the war needs more context, explanation, in order to avoid controversy".

The New York Times

His viewpoint is one that I share: science reporting needs more context because science itself is a stream of discovery, where every new result builds upon those that came before it.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When asking for context, be specific about what information you are missing. For example, instead of saying "I "need more context"", try "I need more context about the project's budget before I can approve this plan".

Common error

Avoid assuming your audience has the same background knowledge as you. When presenting information, always provide sufficient context, especially when dealing with technical or specialized topics.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "need more context" functions as a request for additional information or clarification. It's used to indicate that the speaker or writer lacks sufficient understanding of a situation or topic, as demonstrated by Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

32%

Formal & Business

23%

Science

23%

Less common in

Academia

13%

Reference

4%

Encyclopedias

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "need more context" is a grammatically correct and usable expression to indicate a requirement for additional information to fully understand a situation. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and suggests it is used to express a lack of understanding and prompt further explanation. This phrase has a neutral register and finds common usage in "News & Media", "Formal & Business", and "Science" contexts. When using this phrase, specificity and clarity are important to ensure the requested information is relevant and useful. If you need a different option for the query, consider using synonyms like "demand additional details" or "require further elaboration".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

necessitate further information

Formal; emphasizes that additional information is essential.

require further elaboration

More formal; emphasizes the need for a more detailed explanation.

call for more explanation

Highlights a perceived lack of clarity in the current explanation.

demand additional details

Stronger tone; implies a necessity for specific information.

lack sufficient background

Points out that the user does not have enough preliminary knowledge about the topic.

seek better understanding

Focuses on achieving comprehension rather than just receiving information.

require a clearer picture

Emphasizes the need for a comprehensive overview.

benefit from deeper insight

Focuses on improved understanding and a new knowledge.

warrant additional scrutiny

Suggests something needs to be thoroughly checked.

it's not clear enough

Informal way of saying the information provided is not complete.

FAQs

How can I ask for "need more context" in a professional setting?

In a professional setting, you can rephrase "need more context" with phrases like "require further elaboration", "necessitate further information", or "demand additional details" to maintain a formal tone.

What does it mean to say something "needs more context"?

Saying something "needs more context" means that additional background information is required to fully understand the situation, statement, or data being presented. Without this extra information, the core message may be unclear or misinterpreted.

What's the difference between "need more context" and "need more background"?

"Need more context" generally refers to needing additional information related to a specific situation or statement to understand its full implications. "Need more background" typically implies needing more general knowledge or history on a topic.

How to use "need more context" in a sentence?

You can use "need more context" in a sentence like this: "I can't provide accurate feedback on this proposal because I "need more context" about the overall business strategy."