Background Definition
background
- noun
- a person's social heritage: previous experience or training; "he is a lawyer with a sports background"
- 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"
- relatively unimportant or inconspicuous accompanying situation; "when the rain came he could hear the sound of thunder in the background"
- 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
- verb
- understate the importance or quality of; "he played down his royal ancestry"
"Background" in song lyrics
See how background is used in real songs:
-
"In the background"
(11/5 f/) Taydatay — Roll 'Em Up [Edit] -
"with the swamp in the background"
3rd Bass — Pop Goes the Weasel -
"The sounds of basketball and children laughter saturate the background"
The 49ers — Windows Down
Words that rhyme with background
Usage tips for "background"
Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "background" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for background to find words that pair well.