Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins, your financial status, or the type of work experience that you have.
She came from a working-class background.
His background was in engineering.
Synonyms: experience, grounding, education, preparation More Synonyms of background
2. countable noun [usually singular, oft againstN]
The background to an event or situation consists of the facts that explain what caused it.
The background to the current troubles is provided by the dire state of the country'seconomy.
The meeting takes place against a background of continuing political violence.
...background information.
Synonyms: circumstances, history, conditions, situation More Synonyms of background
3. singular noun
Thebackground is sounds, such as music, which you can hear but which you are not listening to with your full attention.
I kept hearing the sound of applause in the background.
...police sirens wailing in the background.
The background music was provided by an accordion player.
4. countable noun [usually singular]
You can use background to refer to the things in a picture or scene that are less noticeable or important than the main things or people in it.
...roses patterned on a blue background.
Paint the background tones lighter and the colours cooler.
See in the background
More Synonyms of background
background in British English
(ˈbækˌɡraʊnd)
noun
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
a.
the plane or ground in a picture upon which all other planes or forms appear superimposed
a person's social class, education, training, or experience
5.
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. Also called: background radiation physics
low-intensity radiation as, for example, from small amounts of radioisotopes in soil, air, building materials, etc
8. electronics
a.
unwanted effects, such as noise, occurring in a measuring instrument, electronic device, etc
b.
(as modifier)
background interference
background in American English
(ˈbækˌgraʊnd)
noun
1.
the part of a scene or picture that is or seems to be toward the back
2.
surroundings, esp. those behind something and providing harmony or contrast; surface against which something is seen
3.
a less important or unobtrusive place or position
to stay in the background
4.
the whole of one's study, training, and experience
the right background for the job
5.
a.
the circumstances or conditions surrounding something
b.
the events leading up to something
c.
information which will help to explain something
6.
music (in full background music) or sound effects used as a subordinated accompaniment to dialogue or action, as in movies
7.
any of various unwanted, interfering effects produced or registered by apparatus of various kinds, as static in radio or radiation due to cosmic rays
verb transitive
8.
to provide a background for
COBUILD Collocations
background
academic background
criminal background
cultural background
deprived background
disadvantaged background
diverse backgrounds
educational background
ethnic background
family background
humble background
modest background
musical background
privileged background
similar background
troubled background
wealthy background
Examples of 'background' in a sentence
background
It means more opportunities for young people to mix with those from different backgrounds.
The Sun (2016)
This could be to distinguish the signals from the background noise of space.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Were you teased because of your poor background?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It can also reflect the background to a bout.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He wanted to stay in the background, taking pictures unnoticed.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They also had a lot of players from African backgrounds.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Yet both sailed through the application process, despite warnings that we would undergo criminal background checks.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The initials are underneath an image of the EU flag, comprising of a dozen yellow stars on a blue background.
The Sun (2017)
You sound like a background singer for a background singer.
The Sun (2010)
Some of the contestants from a variety of countries and backgrounds are pictured on the right.
The Sun (2012)
We just come from different dancing backgrounds.
The Sun (2008)
The bursary structure is also straightforward and generous to those from poorer backgrounds.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
There are also strict background checks on employees.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The project aimed to show that doctors can be recruited from a more diverse social background.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Churches need to check the backgrounds of volunteers as well as employees.
Christianity Today (2000)
His choice depicts the silver fern on a blue and red background.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The volume on the background music was increased.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Yet for most people there is little understanding about the motivation or historical background of these fanatics.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Those with no family background of college education were put off by myths and rumours.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Why has the concept flourished that your class and background determine what you like?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He was proud of his background in motion pictures.
Chancellor, John Peril and Promise: A Commentary on America (1990)
It results in a rich mix of students from various backgrounds with different experiences of education.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The sounds of my body were so loud that the war was almost like background noise.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Students from poorer backgrounds are now more likely to begin uni courses.
The Sun (2015)
Students from poorer backgrounds were also more likely to drop out.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The differences of period were at least as important as those of social background.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
But the plan was cancelled partly because a technical fault that marred the sound with a background hum.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Another big audio crime is turning up your MP3 player to overcome background hubbub.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Background checks are carried out on each contestant, in line with industry practice.
The Sun (2012)
Although the country's budget surplus will be welcomed, the shrinkage of the economy against a background of growth in the wider currency union highlighted its continuing problems.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
background
British English: background /ˈbækˌɡraʊnd/ NOUN
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had.
She came from a working-class background.
American English: background
Arabic: خَلْفِيَّة
Brazilian Portuguese: procedência
Chinese: 背景
Croatian: porijeklo
Czech: prostředí
Danish: baggrund
Dutch: achtergrond decor
European Spanish: origen
Finnish: tausta
French: contexte
German: Hintergrund
Greek: υπόβαθρο
Italian: origine
Japanese: 背景
Korean: 배경
Norwegian: bakgrunn
Polish: pochodzenie
European Portuguese: origens
Romanian: mediu
Russian: происхождение
Latin American Spanish: trasfondo
Swedish: bakgrund
Thai: ภูมิหลัง
Turkish: arka plan
Ukrainian: тло
Vietnamese: bối cảnh
All related terms of 'background'
background check
an investigation into a person's origins and previous history
background music
music of any kind that is played while some other activity is going on, so that people do not actively attend to it
background noise
any type of noise that is not the sound that you are specifically listening to or monitoring
background paper
a report or other piece of writing that is intended to provide contextual and historical information that will help people understand a particular topic or situation
background reading
reading of related works in order to get contextual information on a topic that you are intending to study or write about
background report
a report on someone or something that sheds light on their background , esp a report on the background of a person convicted of a crime before they are sentenced by a judge
class background
a person's background with reference to social class
ethnic background
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins , your financial status , or the type of work experience that you have.
family background
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins , your financial status , or the type of work experience that you have.
humble background
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins, your financial status , or the type of work experience that you have.
modest background
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins , your financial status , or the type of work experience that you have.
musical background
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins , your financial status , or the type of work experience that you have.
similar background
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins , your financial status , or the type of work experience that you have.
wealthy background
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins , your financial status , or the type of work experience that you have.
academic background
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins , your financial status , or the type of work experience that you have.
background knowledge
Knowledge is information and understanding about a subject which a person has, or which all people have.
background processing
the ability of a system to perform a low-priority task while, at the same time, dealing with a main application
background projection
a method of projecting pictures onto a translucent screen so that they are viewed from the opposite side, used esp in films to create the illusion that the actors in the foreground are moving
background radiation
low-intensity radiation from, for example , small amounts of radioisotopes in soil , air, building materials, etc
criminal background
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins, your financial status , or the type of work experience that you have.
cultural background
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins , your financial status , or the type of work experience that you have.
deprived background
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins, your financial status , or the type of work experience that you have.
educational background
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins, your financial status , or the type of work experience that you have.
in the background
Someone who stays in the background avoids being noticed , although the things that they do are important or influential .
microwave background
a background of microwave electromagnetic radiation with a black-body spectrum discovered in 1965, understood to be the thermal remnant of the big bang with which the universe began
privileged background
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins , your financial status , or the type of work experience that you have.
troubled background
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins , your financial status , or the type of work experience that you have.
disadvantaged background
Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins , your financial status , or the type of work experience that you have.
back projection
a method of projecting pictures onto a translucent screen so that they are viewed from the opposite side, used esp in films to create the illusion that the actors in the foreground are moving
rear projection
a special effects technique which combines a performance in the foreground with a pre-filmed background