background

/ˈbækˌgrɑʊnd/ n [C/U] (THINGS BEHIND)

Definition

› things that appear to be farther away or behind what is nearer or in front, esp. in a picture: [C] He photographed the models against different backgrounds. [U] With so much noise in the background, I couldn’t hear what she was saying. [C] The city’s skyline was our background. › A background can also be whatever is happening around you but not involving you directly: Worry was always part of the background. › art In a painting or a story, the background is the people and things that are less important and not the main subject.

(Definition of background n (THINGS BEHIND) from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)