Niels Bohr — "The meaning of our words is always context-dependent."
The meaning of our words is always context-dependent.
Get This Quote & Author's Image Illustrated On:
Click any product to generate a realistic preview. Up to 3 at a time.
* Initial load can take up to 90 seconds — revising the preview in another color is nearly instant.
Kitchen
Apparel
Other
More from Niels Bohr
"It is not the job of science to tell us how the world is, but what we can say about it."
"Anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it."
"Never talk faster than you think."
"The very act of observing disturbs the system."
"It is not possible to describe the world without describing ourselves."
Verification
Unverifiable
Found in 1 providers: grok
1 source checked
Understanding this quote
What it means
Words don't carry fixed, universal definitions — their meaning shifts depending on the situation, conversation, and framework in which they're used. What something means in one context can differ entirely in another. Communication requires shared understanding of the surrounding conditions, not just the words themselves. Language is inherently relational, not absolute.
Relevance to Niels Bohr
Bohr pioneered complementarity in quantum mechanics — the idea that particles exhibit wave or particle behavior depending on how you observe them. His entire career grappled with how observation context determines physical reality. He famously clashed with Einstein over whether quantum descriptions were complete, arguing that experimental setup fundamentally shapes what can be meaningfully said about a system.
The era
The early 20th century saw physics undergo a conceptual revolution. Quantum mechanics dismantled classical certainties: Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, wave-particle duality, and Copenhagen interpretation challenged the idea of observer-independent reality. Philosophy of language was simultaneously evolving through Wittgenstein and logical positivism, making context-dependency of meaning a central intellectual preoccupation across multiple disciplines simultaneously.
AI-generated insights based on extensive research and information for context. Factual errors? Email [email protected].