Which term describes the way context influences the meaning of a sentence?

The correct term that describes how context influences the meaning of a sentence is deixis. Deixis refers to words and phrases that cannot be fully understood without additional contextual information. This includes references such as "here," "there," "you," "me," and "now." The meaning of these terms varies depending on the speaker's location, the listeners, and the timing of the conversation, which illustrates how context shapes the interpretation of sentences.

In contrast, collocation relates to the way words commonly pair together (for example, "make a decision" rather than "do a decision"), focusing on natural combinations of words rather than context-derived meaning. Synonyms are words that have similar meanings, and antonyms are words that have opposite meanings, both of which do not directly address the influence of context on meaning. Understanding deixis is crucial for grasping how meaning is embedded within specific situations, making it an essential concept in linguistics.