background
/ˈbæk.(ɡ)ɹaʊnd/noun, verb2 syllables
Background means: the state of the environment in which a situation exists.
Synonyms for background12
noun, as in (computer science) the area of the screen in graphical user interfaces against which icons and windows appear
noun, as in scenery hung at back of stage
noun, as in the part of a scene (or picture) that lies behind objects in the foreground
noun, as in information that is essential to understanding a situation or problem
noun, as in extraneous signals that can be confused with the phenomenon to be observed or measured
verb, as in understate the importance or quality of
Opposites of background
What does background mean?9
noun
the state of the environment in which a situation exists“you can't do that in a university setting”
(computer science) the area of the screen in graphical user interfaces against which icons and windows appear
scenery hung at back of stage
the part of a scene (or picture) that lies behind objects in the foreground“he posed her against a background of rolling hills”
information that is essential to understanding a situation or problem“the embassy filled him in on the background of the incident”
extraneous signals that can be confused with the phenomenon to be observed or measured“they got a bad connection and could hardly hear one another over the background signals”
a person's social heritage: previous experience or training“he is a lawyer with a sports background”
relatively unimportant or inconspicuous accompanying situation“when the rain came he could hear the sound of thunder in the background”
verb
understate the importance or quality of“he played down his royal ancestry”
Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Background in a sentence
- As we were leaving the party, the music was still playing in the background.LoverofEnglish
- Music that doesn't transmit feelings, images, thoughts, or memories is just background noise.papabear
- We have many things in common: hobbies, educational background, and so on.Vortarulo
- Tracing a renegade's family background, you'll find him the black sheep.unknown
- It seems quiet, but it is very busy in the background.AlanF_US
- We have many things in common: hobbies, educational backgrounds, for instance.unknown
- Templates include slide backgrounds, fonts, colors, and settings.pip
- Let's get a picture of us with the sea in the background.CK
Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.
Forms of background
as a noun
- plural
- backgrounds
as a verb
- past tense
- backgrounded
- present participle
- backgrounding
- third-person singular
- backgrounds
- past participle
- backgrounded