backlight

American  

[bak-lahyt] / ˈbækˌlaɪt /

noun

1. Movies, Television. a light source placed behind an actor, object, or scene to create a highlight that separates the subject from the background.

   Put a backlight on that rain to make it more visible in this evening shot.

2. Electronics. the light source, often LED arrays, behind the screen of a flat-screen electronic display, as a television, computer monitor, or smartphone.

   A full-array LED backlight gives the picture a deeper color range than an edge-lit screen would.

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verb (used with object)

backlighted, backlit, backlighting

1. to illuminate from behind: The hallway lamp backlit Mom when she cracked our bedroom door to check on us and whisper goodnight.

   One of the wedding photos is just a silhouette of the couple backlighted by the sunset on the beach.

   The hallway lamp backlit Mom when she cracked our bedroom door to check on us and whisper goodnight.

Etymology

Origin of backlight

First recorded in 1950–55; back ¹ + light ¹

Example Sentences

With both the racing itself and the hoopla around race weekend, the usual filmmaking mindset simply had to change: “I’m not always able to shoot sunset for this shot, or backlight for this quarter,” said Miranda, describing his thinking.

From Los Angeles Times

“One, I was always trying to backlight him,” he said.

From Salon

The space was just large enough for two-person interviews, with a pair of chairs and sufficient backlight to make the participants distinct against the black curtain used as the backdrop.

From Slate

“We had to recreate all of that stuff, but it made such a difference to the texture of the show. Huge respect for the design choices that they made on that, just by doing something that you’re able to backlight like that.”

From Salon

Should the sunset properly backlight a small waterfall known as Horsetail Fall just so, the cascading water becomes a “firefall,” taking on an orange glow that can appear very lava-like.

From Los Angeles Times