background

American  

[bak-ground] / ˈbækˌgraʊnd /

noun

backgrounds plural

1. the ground or parts, as of a scene, situated in the rear (opposed to foreground).

2. Fine Arts.

   1. the part of a painted or carved surface against which represented objects and forms are perceived or depicted.

      a portrait against a purple background.

   2. the part of an image represented as being at maximum distance from the frontal plane.

      majestic mountains in the background.

3. one's origin, education, experience, etc., in relation to one's present character, status, etc..

   She came from a humble background.

4. the social, historical, and other antecedents or causes of an event or condition.

   Knowing the background of the war illuminates the latest news reports about it.

   Synonyms:

   medium, sphere, element, milieu, upbringing, environment

5. the complex of physical, cultural, and psychological factors that serves as the environment of an event or experience; the set of conditions against which an occurrence is perceived.

   Their decisions need to be examined against the background of nineteenth-century marriage laws.

6. Physics. the totality of effects that tend to obscure a phenomenon under investigation and above which the phenomenon must be detected.

7. Telecommunications. (in an electronic device for transmitting or receiving signals) the sum of the effects, as noise or random signals, from which a phenomenon must differentiate itself in character or degree in order to be detected.

8. Computers.

   1. the mode of operation of programs, tasks, or processes that start and run without user input while other programs are being used (often used attributively).

      Background processes—your firewall and your antivirus software—could be what’s slowing your computer down.

   2. on a graphical interface, the position of an active app or window that is visually obscured by the app or window in use.

      The first time she used a smartphone, she didn’t realize she could continue talking while the phone was in the background.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or serving as a background.

   background noise.

verb (used with object)

1. to supply a background to.

   The passenger's idle thoughts were backgrounded by the drone of the plane's engines.

2. to supply a background of information for.

   To background themselves, reporters dug through all available files on the case.

3. to give scant attention to; put in the background.

   Her sacrifices and lifetime of public service were largely backgrounded and unheralded.

idioms

1. in the background,

   1. Also into the background unobtrusive; inconspicuous; out of sight or notice; in or into obscurity.

      He kept his dishonest dealings in the background.

   2. Digital Technology. operating or being used without user input or without being displayed by the graphical interface.

      How do I keep this app from downloading news stories in the background while I’m working?

background British  

/ ˈbækˌɡraʊnd /

noun

1. the part of a scene or view furthest from the viewer

2. 1. an inconspicuous or unobtrusive position (esp in the phrase in the background )

   2. ( as modifier )

      a background influence

3. art

   1. the plane or ground in a picture upon which all other planes or forms appear superimposed

   2. the parts of a picture that appear most distant Compare foreground middle-distance

4. a person's social class, education, training, or experience

5. 1. the social, historical, or technical circumstances that lead up to or help to explain something

      the background to the French Revolution

   2. ( as modifier )

      background information

6. 1. a low level of sound, lighting, etc, whose purpose is to be an unobtrusive or appropriate accompaniment to something else, such as a social activity, conversation, or the action of a film

   2. ( as modifier )

      background music

7. Also called: background radiation.  physics low-intensity radiation as, for example, from small amounts of radioisotopes in soil, air, building materials, etc

8. electronics

   1. unwanted effects, such as noise, occurring in a measuring instrument, electronic device, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      background interference

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• backgrounds
  plural

Etymology

Origin of background

First recorded in 1665–75; back ¹ + ground ¹

Explanation

Background is what’s behind something — whether it’s physical, like a play’s scenery, or intangible, like a person's life story or the past facts of a current situation. If you are shy, you might try to stay in the background at parties and avoid attention. The original idea of background was the use of stage scenery or painted drops that established a play's setting. Later, the idea expanded to include the figurative meaning of something that was present yet not immediately noticed, such as the background music in a movie. It also came to mean material that happened earlier and contributed to something. If your new boss does a "background check" on you, it's because she wants to know all the trouble you've caused in the past.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

background backgrounds

When the chain last year unveiled a new, pared-back logo — bearing only the words “Cracker Barrel” against a yellow background — the news spread through social media, and not in a good way.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Wearing a black T-shirt and skinny black jeans was meant to help Gough melt into the background.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

"I want to make sure this generation is able to seize that opportunity, whatever their background or postcode."

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Still, the results provide evidence that cancer development is shaped not only by environmental damage and acquired mutations, but also by the genetic background in which those mutations occur.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026

I read the poem again with all this background information in mind, and now it seems like Emily Dickinson disapproved of people who wanted to succeed.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

In addition, certain genetic backgrounds showed a striking tendency toward whole-genome duplication, an event in which the complete set of chromosomes is copied.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026

The backgrounds of school founders and employees often simply don’t matter.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

Her call for Americans of all backgrounds to protect public religiosity “in all its specificity and messiness” reflects our best traditions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

He or she was to “implement and study innovative approaches for building research capacity in order to engage and retain students from a range of institutions and diverse backgrounds in STEM.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

She would meet with them in cafes, or speak with them by phone, asking questions about their families, their backgrounds, their favorite books and foods.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• backdrop
• culture
• education
• environment
• history
• practice
• qualification
• tradition
• training
• upbringing