background

/ˈbækɡraʊnd/
noun
  1. The part of a picture or scene that is behind the main people or things.
    • She painted a blue sky in the background of her landscape.
    • The photographer asked us to stand in front of a plain background.
    • In the photo, the mountains in the background are covered with snow.
  2. A person's education, family, and experience that shape who they are.
    • People from different cultural backgrounds bring new ideas to the team.
    • The job applicant has a strong background in computer science.
    • His family background includes several generations of teachers.
  3. The conditions or events that exist around something and help explain it.
    • The report includes background information about the company's growth.
    • To understand the news, you need to know the political background.
    • The teacher gave us some background on the history of the war.
  4. Sounds or activity that are present but not the main focus of attention.
    • Soft music played in the background at the restaurant.
    • The background chatter made it hard to concentrate on my reading.
    • I could hear traffic noise in the background during our phone call.
Antonyms
adjective
  1. Relating to the area behind the main subject or to less noticeable activity.
    • The background color of the website is light gray.
    • The computer runs background tasks while you use other programs.
    • She works in background research for a science lab.
verb
  1. To provide with basic information or context.
    • Please background me on the project before the meeting.
    • She backgrounded the new employee about company policies.
    • The guide backgrounded the tourists before the tour began.
What does "background" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean