background
Definition of background
back´ground` | n. | 1. | | | 1. | Ground in the rear or behind, or in the distance, as opposed to the foreground, or the ground in front. | | 2. | (Paint.) The space which is behind and subordinate to a portrait or group of figures. | | 3. | Anything behind, serving as a foil; as, the statue had a background of red hangings. | | 4. | A place in obscurity or retirement, or out of sight. | | 5. | The set of conditions within which an action takes place, including the social and physical conditions as well as the psychological states of the participants; as, within the background of the massive budget deficits of the 1980's, new spending programs had little chance of passage by the congress. | | 6. | The set of conditions that precede and affect an action, such as the social and historical precedents for the event, as well as the general background{5}; as, against the background of their expulsion by the Serbs, the desire of Kosovars for vengeance is understandable though regrettable. | | 7. | (Science) The signals that may be detected by a measurement which are not due to the phenomenon being studied, and tend to make the measurement uncertain to a greater or lesser degree. | | 8. | (Journalism) An agreement between a journalist and an interviewee that the name of the interviewee will not be quoted in any publication, although the substance of the remarks may be reported; - often used in the phrase "on background". Compare deep background. |
Related Words
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