background music

American  

noun

1. music, often recorded, intended to provide a soothing background, usually played over loudspeaker systems in public places, as railway stations or restaurants.

2. music composed specifically to accompany and heighten the mood of a visual production, as a movie.

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Etymology

Origin of background music

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Not the mellow, easy-listening variety that serves as background music in elevators and waiting rooms.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2025

This is part of the background music in America: Americans who aren’t unemployed and do have a house are afraid that in the next few years they could lose their job, their security.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025

In the past year, Trump has attended at least four such events, often making fighter-style entrances with background music and an entourage.

From BBC • Jul. 18, 2024

In video posted online last week, a man who looks like Puello-Mota talks directly to the camera, speaking in English over background music and Russian subtitles and discussing a military operation.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 10, 2024

Or the sound of Rick James, Frankie Beverly, or the Isley Brothers playing as background music in our house.

From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds