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backlighting

American  
[bak-lahy-ting] / ˈbækˌlaɪ tɪŋ /

noun

  1. a controlled technique of lighting, used in photography or the theater, in which a light is placed behind or at right angles to an object, person, or scene to produce such effects as depth or separation of subject and background.


Etymology

Origin of backlighting

First recorded in 1950–55; back 1 + lighting


Vocabulary lists containing backlighting

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

There is a traditional steering wheel, knobs and levers, while the screens consist of so-called organic light-emitting diodes, which don’t require backlighting, to create a more analog feel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026

Chloe Harmer, 20, used backlighting strips on her mirror in her uni room.

From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2026

In the case of “Dancing Through Life,” the heinous backlighting detracted from the majesty of the film’s practical set pieces in the same scene.

From Salon ● Jan. 7, 2025

To unveil the distribution of CO ice within this vast cloud, the researchers required intense backlighting from stars and hot gas.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2023

The sun had just gone down, and its afterglow was backlighting the city, which formed low cliffs around the bucolic void to the idle stockyards.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

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