Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense foregrounds, present participle foregrounding, past tense, past participle foregrounded
1. variable noun [oft in theN]
Theforeground of a picture or scene you are looking at is the part or area of it that appears nearest to you.
He is the bowler-hatted figure in the foreground of Orpen's famous painting.
2. singular noun [oft in/toN]
If something or someone is in theforeground, or comes to theforeground, they receive a lot of attention.
This is another worry that has come to the foreground in recent years.
Synonyms: prominence, limelight, fore, forefront More Synonyms of foreground
3. verb
To foreground certain features of a situation means to make them the most important part of a description or account.
[formal]
His book foregrounds three events in which police relations with the media were central. [VERB noun]
More Synonyms of foreground
foreground in British English
(ˈfɔːˌɡraʊnd)
noun
1.
the part of a scene situated towards the front or nearest to the viewer
2.
the area of space in a perspective picture, depicted as nearest the viewer
3.
a conspicuous or active position
verb
4. (transitive)
to emphasize (an issue, idea, or word)
foreground in American English
(ˈfɔrˌgraʊnd)
noun
1.
the part of a scene, landscape, etc. nearest, or represented in perspective as nearest, to the viewer
2.
the most noticeable or conspicuous position
verb transitive US
3.
to bring to or place in the foreground; emphasize; highlight
Examples of 'foreground' in a sentence
foreground
Nearly all the city plans have human figures in the foreground.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This piece of decor adds foreground detail to the view over the garden square.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
To get a good multilayered shot you need to consider the background, middle ground and foreground.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
I also suggested two small figures in the foreground to give scale.
Crawshaw, Alwyn Crawshaw's Watercolour Studio (1993)
Previously the drama and detail of the foreground had carried almost the full weight of an artist's intention.
Jepson, Tim Umbria - the green heart of Italy (1989)
The foreground in such pictures is close and the stretching towards the edges and corners has the effect of seemingly wrapping the image around the viewer.
Freeman, Michael Collins Complete Guide to Photography (1993)
Political unrest has been in the team's background and foreground these past few weeks and that is likely only to destabilise.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
For the most part this works but sometimes it can be hard to distinguish between foreground and background, especially when zoomed out.
The Sun (2014)
How much else appears sharp - in the foreground and the background - depends on the depth of field.
Freeman, Michael Photographers Handbook (1993)
This can be done from any direction, but the most common way that it is used is facing sunlight, to show detail in foreground shadows.
Freeman, Michael Collins Complete Guide to Photography (1993)
In other languages
foreground
British English: foreground /ˈfɔːˌɡraʊnd/ NOUN
The foreground of a picture is the part that seems nearest to you.
...the woman in the foreground.
American English: foreground
Arabic: أَمَاميّة
Brazilian Portuguese: primeiro plano
Chinese: 前景
Croatian: istaknutno mjesto
Czech: popředí
Danish: forgrund
Dutch: voorgrond
European Spanish: primer plano
Finnish: etuala
French: premier plan
German: Vordergrund
Greek: προσκήνιο
Italian: in primo piano
Japanese: 前景
Korean: 전경
Norwegian: forgrunn
Polish: pierwszy plan
European Portuguese: primeiro plano
Romanian: prim-plan
Russian: авансцена
Latin American Spanish: primer plano
Swedish: förgrund
Thai: ทัศนียภาพที่อยู่ใกล้ที่สุด
Turkish: ön plan
Ukrainian: передній план
Vietnamese: cận cảnh
Chinese translation of 'foreground'
foreground
(ˈfɔːɡraund)
n(c/u)
[of painting]前景 (qiánjǐng)
to be in/come to the foreground (fig) 处(處)于(於)/取得突出地位 (chǔyú/qǔdé tūchū dìwèi)
1 (noun)
Definition
the part of a view, esp. in a picture, nearest the viewer
the foreground of this boldly painted landscape
Synonyms
front
the front of the picture
focus
forefront
2 (noun)
Definition
an important or prominent position
This worry has come to the foreground in recent years.
Synonyms
prominence
limelight
He has been thrust into the limelight with a high-profile job.
fore
no damage in the fore part of the ship
forefront
They are at the forefront of the campaign.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of fore
Definition
the front part
no damage in the fore part of the ship
Synonyms
front,
head,
top,
forefront,
nearest part,
foremost part
in the sense of forefront
Definition
the most active or prominent position
They are at the forefront of the campaign.
Synonyms
lead,
centre,
front,
fore,
spearhead,
prominence,
vanguard,
foreground,
leading position,
van
in the sense of limelight
Definition
glare of publicity
He has been thrust into the limelight with a high-profile job.