foreground

[fawr-ground]

noun

1. the ground or parts situated, or represented as situated, in the front; the portion of a scene or picture nearest to the viewer (background ).

2. a prominent or important position; forefront.

verb (used with object)

1. to put in the foreground.

   The fact that the central character is Italian is not foregrounded.

foreground

/ ˈfɔːˌɡraʊnd /

noun

1. the part of a scene situated towards the front or nearest to the viewer

2. the area of space in a perspective picture, depicted as nearest the viewer

3. a conspicuous or active position

verb

1. (tr) to emphasize (an issue, idea, or word)

Word History and Origins

Origin of foreground¹

First recorded in 1685–95; fore- + ground ¹

Example Sentences

As for the figures who occupied the foreground of the work—well, yes, they were wolves, but they were happy, gentle wolves and featured a mama wolf tenderly playing with her cubs.

Read more on Literature

In the foreground was a sandy beach; in the back, palm trees rose like green leafy spires, vibrant against an azure sky.

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In the foreground: the dense, ferny undergrowth of a forest, bordered by a few gnarled tree trunks rising upward.

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The foreground is a scar of denuded earth, storage tanks and bobbing pumpjacks — the legacy of oil discovered a century ago when only farmhouses were scattered over the surrounding flatlands.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He used a different technique to capture the building in the foreground before blending the images together to create the final photograph.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• forefront