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Definition of Background in English :

Define Background in English

Background meaning in English

Meaning of Background in English

Pronunciation of Background in English

Background pronunciation in English

Pronounce Background in English

Background

see synonyms of background

Noun

1. background

a person's social heritage: previous experience or training

Example Sentences:
'he is a lawyer with a sports background'

2. background, ground

the part of a scene (or picture) that lies behind objects in the foreground

Example Sentences:
'he posed her against a background of rolling hills'

3. background, background knowledge

information that is essential to understanding a situation or problem

Example Sentences:
'the embassy filled him in on the background of the incident'

4. background, background signal

extraneous signals that can be confused with the phenomenon to be observed or measured

Example Sentences:
'they got a bad connection and could hardly hear one another over the background signals'

5. background

relatively unimportant or inconspicuous accompanying situation

Example Sentences:
'when the rain came he could hear the sound of thunder in the background'

6. background, scope, setting

the state of the environment in which a situation exists

Example Sentences:
'you can't do that in a university setting'

7. background, desktop, screen background

(computer science) the area of the screen in graphical user interfaces against which icons and windows appear

8. backcloth, backdrop, background

scenery hung at back of stage

Verb

9. background, downplay, play down

understate the importance or quality of

Example Sentences:
'he played down his royal ancestry'

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

Background

see synonyms of background
noun
1. 
the part of a scene or view furthest from the viewer
2. 
a. 
an inconspicuous or unobtrusive position (esp in the phrase in the background)
b. 
(as modifier)
a background influence
3. art
a. 
the plane or ground in a picture upon which all other planes or forms appear superimposed
b. 
the parts of a picture that appear most distant
Compare foreground (sense 2), middle-distance (sense 2)
4. 
a person's social class, education, training, or experience
5. 
a. 
the social, historical, or technical circumstances that lead up to or help to explain something
the background to the French Revolution
b. 
(as modifier)
background information
6. 
a. 
a low level of sound, lighting, etc, whose purpose is to be an unobtrusive or appropriate accompaniment to something else, such as a social activity, conversation, or the action of a film
b. 
(as modifier)
background music
7. Also called: background radiation physics
low-intensity radiation as, for example, from small amounts of radioisotopes in soil, air, building materials, etc
8. electronics
a. 
unwanted effects, such as noise, occurring in a measuring instrument, electronic device, etc
b. 
(as modifier)
background interference

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Background

see synonyms of background
noun
1. 
the part of a scene or picture that is or seems to be toward the back
2. 
surroundings, esp. those behind something and providing harmony or contrast; surface against which something is seen
3. 
a less important or unobtrusive place or position
to stay in the background
4. 
the whole of one's study, training, and experience
the right background for the job
5. 
a. 
the circumstances or conditions surrounding something
b. 
the events leading up to something
c. 
information which will help to explain something
6. 
music (in full background music) or sound effects used as a subordinated accompaniment to dialogue or action, as in movies
7. 
any of various unwanted, interfering effects produced or registered by apparatus of various kinds, as static in radio or radiation due to cosmic rays
verb transitive
8. 
to provide a background for

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Background

see synonyms of background
n.
1. The ground or scenery located behind something.
2.
a. The part of a pictorial representation that appears to be in the distance and that provides relief for the principal objects in the foreground.
b. The general scene or surface against which designs, patterns, or figures are represented or viewed.
3.
a. A position, area, or situation that is not immediately in one's attention or notice: You can hear traffic moving in the background during the interview.
b. Computers The environment in which programs operate that the user does not engage with directly: processes that run in the background.
4. The circumstances and events surrounding or leading up to an event or occurrence.
5.
a. A person's experience, training, and education: Her background in the arts is impressive.
b. The cultural or social environment in which a person was brought up or has lived: a class with students from many different backgrounds.
6. Subdued music played especially as an accompaniment to dialogue in a dramatic performance.
7.
a. Sound that intrudes on or interferes with an audio recording.
b. Low-level radiation, as from radioactive decay, that exists as part of the natural environment.

The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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