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

The bottom of the backlight is roughly 5 feet off the ground, making a typical traffic cone invisible from closer than about 35 feet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026

Because each pixel produces its own light, no separate backlight is required.

From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2026

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

From Salon • Oct. 3, 2025

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 • Aug. 18, 2025

Suma stands in front of me, cave-glow as a backlight, bag over her shoulder.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera