background
pronunciation
How to pronounce background in British English:
UK [ˈbækɡraʊnd]
How to pronounce background in American English:
US [ˈbækɡraʊnd]
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- Noun:
- a person's social heritage: previous experience or training
- the part of a scene (or picture) that lies behind objects in the foreground
- information that is essential to understanding a situation or problem
- extraneous signals that can be confused with the phenomenon to be observed or measured
- relatively unimportant or inconspicuous accompanying situation
- the state of the environment in which a situation exists
- (computer science) the area of the screen in graphical user interfaces against which icons and windows appear
- scenery hung at back of stage
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- Verb:
- understate the importance or quality of
Word Origin
- background (n.)
- 1670s, from back (adj.) + ground (n.); original sense was theatrical, later applied to painting. Figurative sense is first attested 1854.
Synonym
Antonym
Example
- 1. His background does sound rather princely .
- 2. The man in the background is a technician .
- 3. Against that background , both parties need to be far more willing to think the unthinkable .
- 4. The music isn 't just background ; it 's part of the show .
- 5. Still , most palace women were relegated to background status .