background
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back·ground
(băk′ground′)n.
Idioms: 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.
on background
For publication but without specific attribution of the source: The senator would only speak on background with the reporter about the crisis.
on deep background
For publication without any attribution of the source.
back′ground′ v.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
background
(ˈbækˌɡraʊnd)n
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 Terms) 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 foreground2, middle-distance2
4. a person's social class, education, training, or experience
5. (Historical Terms)
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. (General Physics) physics Also called: background radiation low-intensity radiation as, for example, from small amounts of radioisotopes in soil, air, building materials, etc
8. (Electronics) electronics
a. unwanted effects, such as noise, occurring in a measuring instrument, electronic device, etc
b. (as modifier): background interference.
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
back•ground
(ˈbækˌgraʊnd)n.
1. the ground or parts, as of a scene, situated in the rear (opposed to foreground).
2. the part of a painted or carved surface against which represented objects and forms are perceived or depicted.
3. one's origin, education, experience, etc., in relation to one's present character or status: a religious background.
4. the social, historical, and other antecedents or causes of an event or condition: the background of the war.
5. the set of conditions against which an occurrence is perceived.
6.
adj. a. Also called back′ground radia`tion. the natural low-intensity radiation from cosmic rays and naturally occurring radioisotopes in rocks, soil, etc.
b. intrusive sound or radiation that tends to interfere with the transmission or reception of electronic signals.
7. of, pertaining to, or serving as a background: background noise.
v.t. 8. to supply a background for.
Idioms: in or into the background, in or into a state of less importance or visibility.
[1665–75]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | background - a person's social heritage: previous experience or training; "he is a lawyer with a sports background" heritage, inheritance - any attribute or immaterial possession that is inherited from ancestors; "my only inheritance was my mother's blessing"; "the world's heritage of knowledge" |
| 2. |  background - the part of a scene (or picture) that lies behind objects in the foreground; "he posed her against a background of rolling hills" | |
| 3. |  background - information that is essential to understanding a situation or problem; "the embassy filled him in on the background of the incident"information - knowledge acquired through study or experience or instruction | |
| 4. |  background - 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"background noise, ground noise - extraneous noise contaminating sound measurements that cannot be separated from the desired signal background radiation - radiation coming from sources other than those being observed | |
| 5. | background - relatively unimportant or inconspicuous accompanying situation; "when the rain came he could hear the sound of thunder in the background" accompaniment, concomitant, co-occurrence, attendant - an event or situation that happens at the same time as or in connection with another | |
| 6. | background - the state of the environment in which a situation exists; "you can't do that in a university setting" environment - the totality of surrounding conditions; "he longed for the comfortable environment of his living room" canvass, canvas - the setting for a narrative or fictional or dramatic account; "the crowded canvas of history"; "the movie demanded a dramatic canvas of sound" show window, showcase - a setting in which something can be displayed to best effect; "it was a showcase for democracy in Africa" | |
| 7. |  background - (computer science) the area of the screen in graphical user interfaces against which icons and windows appearCRT screen, screen - the display that is electronically created on the surface of the large end of a cathode-ray tube computer science, computing - the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures | |
| 8. |  background - scenery hung at back of stage | |
| Verb | 1. | background - understate the importance or quality of; "he played down his royal ancestry" wave off - dismiss as insignificant; "He waved off suggestions of impropriety" soft-pedal - play down or obscure; "His advisers soft-pedaled the president's blunder" accent, accentuate, emphasize, stress, punctuate, emphasise - to stress, single out as important; "Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet" foreground, highlight, play up, spotlight - move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent; "The introduction highlighted the speaker's distinguished career in linguistics" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
background
noun
1. upbringing, history, culture, environment, tradition, circumstances, breeding, milieu Moulded by his background, he could not escape traditional values.
2. experience, grounding, education, preparation, qualifications, credentials His background was in engineering.
3. circumstances, history, conditions, situation, atmosphere, environment, framework, equation, ambience, milieu, frame of reference The meeting takes place against a background of political violence.
5. in the distance I kept hearing applause in the background.
6. behind the scenes, unnoticed, out of the limelight, out of the spotlight Rosemary likes to stay in the background.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
background
nounThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
جُذور، خَلفِيَّة الأنسانخَلْفِيَّةخَلفِيَّة الأحْداثخَلفيّه، خَلفِيَّة الصّوره
prostředípůvodz něhož kdo pocházíminulostpozadí
baggrund
tausta
porijeklo
háttér
bakgrunnurforsagauppruni
背景
배경백그라운드예비지식바탕색
pozadie
izvorozadje
bakgrund
ภูมิหลัง
bối cảnh
background
[ˈbækgraʊnd]A. N
1. [of picture etc] → fondo m (fig) → ambiente m
on a red background → sobre un fondo rojo
in the background → al or en el fondo (fig) → en segundo plano, en la sombra
to stay in the background → mantenerse en segundo plano, no buscar publicidad
on a red background → sobre un fondo rojo
in the background → al or en el fondo (fig) → en segundo plano, en la sombra
to stay in the background → mantenerse en segundo plano, no buscar publicidad
2. [of person] → formación f, educación f
she comes from a wealthy background → proviene de una familia acaudalada
what is his background? → ¿cuáles son sus antecedentes?
she comes from a wealthy background → proviene de una familia acaudalada
what is his background? → ¿cuáles son sus antecedentes?
3. [of situation, event] → antecedentes mpl
the background to the crisis → los antecedentes de la crisis
to fill in the background for sb → poner a algn en antecedentes
the background to the crisis → los antecedentes de la crisis
to fill in the background for sb → poner a algn en antecedentes
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
background
[ˈbækgraʊnd] n
(in picture, photo, scenery) → arrière-plan m; (in design) → fond m
in the background
a house in the background → une maison à l'arrière-plan
voices in the background → des voix en bruit de fond
in the background
a house in the background → une maison à l'arrière-plan
voices in the background → des voix en bruit de fond
[events] (= context) → contexte m (= history) → historique m
the background to sth → l'historique de qch
the economic background to the present crisis → le contexte économique de la présente crise
the historical background to sth → l'historique de qch
against a background of sth [+ violence, unrest] → dans un climat de qch
the background to sth → l'historique de qch
the economic background to the present crisis → le contexte économique de la présente crise
the historical background to sth → l'historique de qch
against a background of sth [+ violence, unrest] → dans un climat de qch
(= experience) → formation f
a background in sth
His background was in engineering → Il avait une formation d'ingénieur.
a background in sth
His background was in engineering → Il avait une formation d'ingénieur.
(= origins) → milieu m
She came from a working-class background → Elle était issue du milieu ouvrier.
family background → milieu familial
She came from a working-class background → Elle était issue du milieu ouvrier.
family background → milieu familial
modif
[research] → de fond
background information (= context) → contexte m (= general information) → informations fpl générales
For more background information, visit www → Pour plus de renseignements, visitez www. ... background check, background reportbackground check n → vérification f des antécédents
They are calling for fingerprinting and background checks for airport employees → Ils réclament la prise des empreintes digitales et la vérification des antécédents pour les employés des aéroports.background music n → musique f de fondbackground noise n → bruit m de fondbackground reading n (= list of titles to read) → lectures fpl générales (autour d'un sujet)background report n (LAW) → rapport m d'expert
background information (= context) → contexte m (= general information) → informations fpl générales
For more background information, visit www → Pour plus de renseignements, visitez www. ... background check, background reportbackground check n → vérification f des antécédents
They are calling for fingerprinting and background checks for airport employees → Ils réclament la prise des empreintes digitales et la vérification des antécédents pour les employés des aéroports.background music n → musique f de fondbackground noise n → bruit m de fondbackground reading n (= list of titles to read) → lectures fpl générales (autour d'un sujet)background report n (LAW) → rapport m d'expert
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
background
n
(of painting etc, fig) → Hintergrund m; to stay in the background → im Hintergrund bleiben, sich im Hintergrund halten; to keep somebody in the background → jdn nicht in den Vordergrund treten lassen; against a background of poverty and disease → vor dem Hintergrund von Armut und Krankheit
(of person) (educational etc) → Werdegang m; (social) → Verhältnisse pl; (= family background) → Herkunft f no pl; (Sociol) → Background m; he comes from a background of poverty → er kommt aus ärmlichen Verhältnissen; comprehensive schools take children from all backgrounds → Gesamtschulen nehmen Kinder aus allen Schichten auf; what do we know about the main character’s background? → was wissen wir über das Vorleben der Hauptperson?; what’s your educational background? → was für eine Ausbildung haben Sie?
(of case, problem etc) → Zusammenhänge pl, → Hintergründe pl, → Hintergrund m; he explained the background to the crisis → er erläuterte die Zusammenhänge or Hintergründe der Krise
adj reading → vertiefend; background music → Hintergrundmusik f, → Musikuntermalung f; background noises pl → Geräuschkulisse f, → Geräusche pl → im Hintergrund; background information → Hintergrundinformationen pl; what’s the background information on this? → welche Hintergründe or Zusammenhänge bestehen hierfür?
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
background
[ˈbækˌgraʊnd]1. n
a. (gen) → sfondo (fig) → sfondo, scenario
in the background → sullo sfondo (fig) → nell'ombra
on a red background → su sfondo rosso
in the background → sullo sfondo (fig) → nell'ombra
on a red background → su sfondo rosso
b. (of person) → background m inv; (basic knowledge) → base f; (experience) → esperienza; (of problem, event) → retroscena m, background m inv
she comes from a wealthy background → è di famiglia ricca
family background → ambiente familiare
she comes from a wealthy background → è di famiglia ricca
family background → ambiente familiare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
back
(bӕk) noun1. in man, the part of the body from the neck to the bottom of the spine. She lay on her back.
2. in animals, the upper part of the body. She put the saddle on the horse's back.
3. that part of anything opposite to or furthest from the front. the back of the house; She sat at the back of the hall.
4. in football, hockey etc a player who plays behind the forwards.
adjective of or at the back. the back door.
adverb1. to, or at, the place or person from which a person or thing came. I went back to the shop; He gave the car back to its owner.
2. away (from something); not near (something). Move back! Let the ambulance get to the injured man; Keep back from me or I'll hit you!
3. towards the back (of something). Sit back in your chair.
4. in return; in response to. When the teacher is scolding you, don't answer back.
5. to, or in, the past. Think back to your childhood.
verb1. to (cause to) move backwards. He backed (his car) out of the garage.
2. to help or support. Will you back me against the others?
3. to bet or gamble on. I backed your horse to win.
ˈbacker noun a person who supports someone or something, especially with money. the backer of the new theatre.
ˈbackbite verb to criticize a person when he is not present.
ˈbackbiting nounConstant backbiting by her colleagues led to her resignation.
ˈbackbone noun1. the spine. the backbone of a fish.
2. the chief support. The older employees are the backbone of the industry.
ˈbackbreaking adjective (of a task etc) very difficult or requiring very hard work. Digging the garden is a backbreaking job.
ˌbackˈdate verb1. to put an earlier date on (a cheque etc). He should have paid his bill last month and so he has backdated the cheque.
2. to make payable from a date in the past. Our rise in pay was backdated to April.
ˌbackˈfire verb1. (of a motor-car etc) to make a loud bang because of unburnt gases in the exhaust system. The car backfired.
2. (of a plan etc) to have unexpected results, often opposite to the intended results. His scheme backfired (on him), and he lost money.
ˈbackground noun1. the space behind the principal or most important figures or objects of a picture etc. He always paints ships against a background of stormy skies; trees in the background of the picture.
2. happenings that go before, and help to explain, an event etc. the background to a situation.
3. a person's origins, education etc. She was ashamed of her humble background.
ˈbackhand noun1. in tennis etc, a stroke or shot with the back of one's hand turned towards the ball. a clever backhand; His backhand is very strong.
2. writing with the letters sloping backwards. I can always recognize her backhand.
adverb using backhand. She played the stroke backhand; She writes backhand.
ˈbacklog noun a pile of uncompleted work etc which has collected. a backlog of orders because of the strike.
ˌback-ˈnumber noun an out-of-date copy or issue of a magazine etc. He collects back-numbers of comic magazines.
ˈbackpack noun (especially American) a bag that walkers, people who go on trips, or students carry on their backs.
ˈbackpacking: go backpacking to go on trips or go camping carrying a backpack.
ˈbackpacker nounˈbackside noun
the bottom or buttocks. He sits on his backside all day long and does no work.
ˈbackslash noun the sign (\).
ˈbackstroke noun in swimming, a stroke made when lying on one's back in the water. The child is good at backstroke.
ˈbackup noun1. additional people who provide help when it is needed. The police officer requested some backup when the shooting began.
2. a copy of a computer file that can be used in case the original is destroyed.
3. (also adjective) a piece of equipment, a system etc that can be used when there is a problem with the original one. a backup plan; We have a backup generator in case the power fails.
ˈbackwash noun1. a backward current eg that following a ship's passage through the water. the backwash of the steamer.
2. the unintentional results of an action, situation etc. The backwash of that firm's financial troubles affected several other firms.
ˈbackwater noun1. a stretch of river not in the main stream.
2. a place not affected by what is happening in the world outside. That village is rather a backwater.
ˌbackˈyard noun (especially American) a garden at the back of a house etc. He grows vegetables in his backyard.
back down to give up one's opinion, claim etc. She backed down in the face of strong opposition.
back of (American) behind. He parked back of the store.
back on to (of a building etc) to have its back next to (something). My house backs on to the racecourse.
back out1. to move out backwards. He opened the garage door and backed (his car) out.
2. to withdraw from a promise etc. You promised to help – you mustn't back out now!
back up1. to support or encourage. The new evidence backed up my arguments.
2. to make a copy of the information stored on the computer or disk.
have one's back to the wall to be in a very difficult or desperate situation. He certainly has his back to the wall as he has lost his job and cannot find another one.
put someone's back up to anger someone. He put my back up with his boasting.
take a back seat to take an unimportant position. At these discussions he always takes a back seat and listens to others talking.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
background
→ خَلْفِيَّة prostředí baggrund Hintergrund υπόβαθρο origen, trasfondo tausta contexte porijeklo origine 背景 배경 achtergrond bakgrunn pochodzenie origens, procedência происхождение bakgrund ภูมิหลัง arka plan bối cảnh 背景Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
back·ground
n. fondo; [knowledge] preparación, experiencia.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012